Protesters at Alberta border blockade open some lanes — but RCMP think it might just be temporary

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This article was published 02/02/2022 (1630 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As the sun began to set on the fifth day of a border blockade of vehicles near Coutts, Alta., a tumultuous situation had reached something of a temporary truce, according to police.

Negotiations at the Coutts border blockade have resulted in protesters agreeing to open up some lanes of traffic after a days-long standoff resulted in a total freeze for movement across the border.

Still, according to RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Curtis Peters, “this may be a temporary move.”

“We’re not suggesting that the public resume normal travel here,” he said Wednesday afternoon. “But it does allow for residents of Coutts to be able to come in and out of their community at this time, which is good.

“Those folks have been kind of cut off and a little bit overwhelmed for a few days.”

On Wednesday — day five of a blockade where some 100 trucks had parked themselves just north of the border crossing between Alberta and Montana — Chad Williamson, a lawyer representing truckers, told The Canadian Press that the decision to open a few lanes came after discussions with the RCMP.

The protesters have been there since Saturday, protesting a vaccine mandate for truckers requiring Canadian truckers to be fully vaccinated if they want to avoid a 14-day quarantine when they enter from the United States. The U.S. has put a similar policy in place.

The situation has been tense.

Alberta RCMP clarified reports that officers had been assaulted at a protesters’ blockade near the Coutts border crossing, saying that there were dangerous incidents, but no assaults on police.

The information from police seems to contradict a statement Alberta Premier Jason Kenney made Tuesday while updating media on the tense situation in Coutts.

The premier had said he’d “received reports” of people with the blockade “assaulting RCMP officers” not long after the Mounties attempted to move the vehicles out.

However, Peters told the Star early Wednesday morning that he hadn’t heard of any assaults on officers.

“We did have some dangerous situations with officers and vehicles, tractors and stuff like that, that went around our roadblocks and came through ditches,” Peters said.

“We had members take evasive action to get out of the way of farm machinery travelling at high speeds,” he added. “But I’m not aware of a physical altercation between protesters and police.”

The incidents occurred after police decided to enforce the law in an attempt to clear up the blockade on Tuesday; that ultimately failed.

Peters said there was a “head-on collision” between protesters and a civilian trying to leave, too, and that an “assault had occurred there.”

The Star reached out to Kenney’s office for an explanation on the two different accounts.

“Premier Kenney heard reports of violence that involved officers, including reports that protesters breached checkpoints set up for safety, which resulted in physical altercations and at least one motor vehicle collision,” said Justin Brattinga, Kenney’s press secretary.

“It’s clear that this protest is both unlawful and is crossing lines, and putting people in danger, and our economy at risk. It’s time to end this blockade.”

Peters said police have launched investigations into potential crimes that have occurred.

Meanwhile, according to a United Conservative Party caucus statement, reports had surfaced that rural MLAs with Alberta’s governing UCP had “negotiated an agreement to temporarily end the Coutts blockade” pending a meeting about lifting the restrictions exemption program, which functions like a vaccine passport for businesses, restaurants and events.

The UCP caucus chair, MLA Nathan Neudorf, denied those reports in the statement, saying “no such agreement has been authorized and the meeting is not to discuss lifting the (program).” However, the province is planning to lift the program “likely within days,” he said. (This assertion is in contrast to what Kenney said a day prior, that the program could be lifted by the end of February.)

The mayor of Coutts, Jim Willett, says he’s been dealing with his own situation Wednesday as more protesters had rolled in to support the blockade, which links his community and Sweet Grass, Montana.

“A couple of guys at different times have stood outside with their phones and taken pictures of my house,” he said.

“I did get one … instant message … that was a little over the top,” he added, going on to say that he has the RCMP “on speed dial.

“We didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, but my dogs are my best burglar alarm, and they didn’t bark, so things were cool.”

The mayor said there’s a “somewhere between slim to none” chance the blockade is cleared up Wednesday. Peters, the RCMP spokesman, said there was “in the ballpark of (100) to 200” vehicles still blocking traffic, including “some farm machinery.”

The demonstration has drawn condemnation from politicians across the country and brought traffic at the crossing to a standstill, while causing headaches for nearby residents.

The protest has coincided with the “Freedom Convoy” protest that has choked the streets of Ottawa with truckers and their supporters calling for an end to all COVID-19-related vaccine mandates.

With files from The Canadian Press

Kieran Leavitt is an Edmonton-based political reporter for the Toronto Star. Follow him on Twitter: @kieranleavitt