Truckers, Canadian Police Engaged In Standoff At Protest At U.S.-Canada Border
Police and protestors are engaged in a standoff after law enforcement moved in to arrest the organizers of the trucker convoy currently assembled on the United States-Canada border.
Rebel news videographer Kian Simone first reported Monday afternoon that the truckers, who had previously voted to remain where they were despite being surrounded by Royal Canadian Mounted Police, were expected to begin negotiations with RCMP.
Negotiations began Monday evening.
Simone reported that organizers were wondering why supporters bringing food and water were not allowed to pass police checkpoints, but media reporters were. Police told the organizers they were attempting to coordinate with them in order to bring their supplies through the checkpoints.
Update: Negotiations have started, the protestors are wondering why the mainstream media can pass RCMP checkpoints but their food and water can’t.
Rebel News was mentioned as the only news outlet they want here.
More at https://t.co/NxAr5V5Iko pic.twitter.com/nWIstcklUH
— K2 (@kiansimone44) January 31, 2022
About an hour later, police negotiators returned to say that RCMP was willing to allow locals in the town of Coutts, where the protest is being held, to bring food and supplies in, but would not allow more big rigs to come in from the outside.
“Has Jason Kenney heard our voice?” One trucker asked police of the Premier of Alberta who declared the truckers’ blockade of the Canada-U.S. border illegal. “You can say that Jason Kenney knows, because it’s all over the media and the news, and we have reporting lines, too,” one police officer told the protestors. “Is he aware of our requests?” another trucker asked. “I can say yes, he’s seen the pictures. I can’t speak for him. I don’t know what he knows or doesn’t know, but I think you guys have been pretty clear and pretty vocal, I think it would be hard for him not to know.”
“What we do want to do is move forward with a lawful protest and give everyone here the opportunity, and still get your message out. Not a lot of people can say that they were able to stop cross-border traffic … But we’re at a point now where we have to restore flow across the border, and we do have to enforce the law. Today we were in a position to start enforcement, but we [want to] … give everyone the opportunity to still move forward, get their message out as best as possible within a lawful protest.”
Update 2/3: “Has Kenney heard us?” pic.twitter.com/ZGwqeh9kKg
— K2 (@kiansimone44) January 31, 2022
The negotiator then told the organizers that police want to facilitate a lawful protest, but they needed to restore the flow of traffic across the border. The negotiator said that passenger vehicles would be let in, but no rigs.
Update 3/3: enforcement was the plan today for the RCMP – traffic violations, criminal code charges and critical infrastructure violations along with removal of trucks.
This is still a possibility TONIGHT if they don’t meet a “middle ground*
More at https://t.co/NxAr5V5Iko pic.twitter.com/VhRHCYN6Fv
— K2 (@kiansimone44) January 31, 2022
However, one of the protestors, speaking to a supporter via phone, was told that RCMP were not allowing any vehicles to pass, forcing supporters to walk in the freezing cold to the site of the blockade to bring food to the truckers. Police also refused a request for vehicle escort.
BREAKING: After promises from RCMP of allowing food and supplies to the blockage of truckers, the checkpoints still aren’t allowing them through. They are making them WALK in the freezing weather into Coutts from Milk River, Alberta. pic.twitter.com/Vkf0EXeUWu
— K2 (@kiansimone44) February 1, 2022
Later in the evening, police agreed to allow supporters and other protestors in and out if the truckers promised to open a lane of traffic, including a border lane. Simone reported that supporters were let in without meeting the demand to open a lane.
Update Negotiation 3: RCMP agreed to release the supporters from the checkpoints if truckers open one lane of traffic, including a border lane.
Spoiler alert, the truckers got their people released without opening a lane.
More supporters are coming here to Coutts, Alberta. pic.twitter.com/HnDXaSFPmV
— K2 (@kiansimone44) February 1, 2022
Supporters from all over the province are now here, in their rigs, to park at the border until mandates are lifted.
After the last negotiation with RCMP the truckers got all their demands met and are waiting for response on how to move forward from whomever is in charge. pic.twitter.com/m3ubljt9AJ
— K2 (@kiansimone44) February 1, 2022
Tuesday morning, Simone reported that another 42 RCMP vehicles had been deployed to the site.
Albertans have been reaching out to me all night updating from outside Coutts. This stood out the most as this morning 42 cars are on route to the blockade. There was over 50 yesterday.
Could be a shift change, could be preparing for a raid.
Negotiations round 4 start soon. pic.twitter.com/Ur5oIRxhxc
— K2 (@kiansimone44) February 1, 2022
Simone also reported that the trucker’s legal counsel, Chad Williamson, had arrived
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