B.C. journalist wins defamation payout after years of harassment
B.C. defamation damages awarded to journalist Gao Bing Chen after harassment campaign Court ruling backs him with $275,000 and exposes years of harmful protests.
A British Columbia journalist has been awarded $275,000 in defamation damages after a yearslong harassment campaign linked to protests outside his Surrey home.
According to a B.C. Supreme Court ruling, Gao Bing Chen was targeted by a group that spent weeks outside his house in 2020 and later resumed protests in 2023. The group distributed pamphlets accusing him of being a traitor and an agent of China, and livestreamed the demonstrations to large online audiences.
Justice Richard Hewson said the claims were baseless and caused Gao severe distress, harming his family life and standing in the ChineseCanadian community. The award includes $250,000 in general damages and $25,000 in aggravated damages. Gao said the decision brought relief, but the impact of the harassment still lingers.