'Freedom Convoy' truckers and protesters continued late Monday to block a border crossing into the US at a village in southern Alb...
'Freedom Convoy' truckers and protesters continued late Monday to block a border crossing into the US at a village in southern Alberta - one of the country's busiest border crossings - in solidarity with their brethren in Ottawa who have shut down the nation's capital.
Motorists traveling across the border between Montana and Alberta have been caught in blockade of vehicles that have essentially shut down the highway south of the city of Lethbridge, Alberta, 65 miles to the Canada-U.S. border crossing in the village of Coutts.
Despite being 2,000 miles away from Ottawa, the demonstration is related directly to what is happening in the Canadian capital where protests are running into a fourth day against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and COVID-19 vaccine mandates - which require unvaccinated truckers to get a PCR test and quarantine.
Earlier Monday, Trudeau declared he will not be meeting with truckers currently overrunning Ottawa in protest of his vaccine mandate because of their 'hateful rhetoric.'
Almost 2,000 miles west of Ottawa, hundreds of truckers are protesting having convened at the southernmost point of the province of Alberta, forming a blockade between the territory and the US state of Montana to the south
Anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators gather as a truck convoy blocks the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alberta on Monday
Anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators gather as a truck convoy blocks the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts
'Freedom Convoy' truckers and protesters continued late Monday to block a border crossing into the US at a village in southern Alberta - one of the country's busiest border crossings - in solidarity with their brethren in Ottawa who have shut down the nation's capital
Mayor Jim Willett is frustrated with anti-mandate demonstrators as a truck convoy blocks the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alberta
The truckers in Alberta were met with backlash from local law enforcement, who ordered the drivers to put ther rigs in gear and stop blocking trucks and other international commuters from crossing the currently gridlocked border.
But drivers stationed along the border have refused to budge from the major artery for commercial goods between the nations.
Canadian trucker John Schwarz was caught up in it for 40 hours while coming back from Idaho.
'These guys are basically holding us hostage, and nobody's doing anything about it,' Schwarz Canadian trucker John Schwarz, who was stuck in the blockade for 40 hours on the way back from Idaho, told CBC News.
By Monday afternoon, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said some vehicles were being allowed to leave the traffic jam but that the border was still blocked. A few hours later, some truckers had been persuaded to leave.
Anti-mandate demonstrators gather as a truck convoy blocks the highway the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts
In solidarity with their Ottawa counterparts, truckers in at the Alberta / Montana border staged what police described as a 'complete blockage' of Highway 4 in Canada's western province
The road is a major artery for commercial goods between the nations but truckers have been stuck for days
Jim Willett, Mayor of the Village of Coutts, says there will be no mail and some students have not gone to school because of a truck convoy that has blocked a highway at a busy U.S. border crossing to protest vaccine mandates for drivers
'Through negotiations and continuous talks with the organizers of the event, in the last little bit, the organizers agreed to open up, and some of the vehicles have been allowed to leave,' RCMP Cpl. Curtis Peters said.
'Some of these guys have been stuck here for for three days, and you know, no access to shower [or] food and away from their families. So it's good news for them.'
The blockade was also affecting life in the village of Coutts, where 100 trucks along Highway 4 prevented a school bus from leaving the village in order to get to the nearest school.
Residents of Coutts, of which there are around 250, were also unable to get to the village grocery store, gas station and pharmacy.
'I'm disappointed, I think is the main thing,' Coutts Mayor Jim Willett said. 'Not impressed, with the fact that they blocked off the highway. This event is unlawful'
A plan had been worked out with the town in order that life within the village could carry on as normal, but things quickly fell apart once truckers were refused across the border.
The Canadian flag is reflected in a wheel hub as anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators gather as a truck convoy blocks the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alberta
Anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators gather as a truck convoy blocks the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing
The blockade has caused major disruption for the tiny village of Coutts with locals unable to reach a local school, supermarket or grocery store
The border with Montana is a key crossing route for beef and farm equipment
Normally the border crossing is plain sailing... not this week
RCMP were also telling people trying to get into the U.S. to head to a different border crossing, while in Montana the situation was similar.
'Officials in Montana are stopping and advising motorists, commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles to find an alternative route as they won't be able to get through once they cross into Canada,' Cpl. Peters said.
The RCMP has since declared the event to be unlawful.
'When an event becomes unlawful, we utilize a measured approach, which ultimately includes enforcement,' the statement read.
'This event is unlawful and we are asking those who are involved to clear the area.'
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has also called for the local blockade to draw to a close, adding that it was causing 'significant inconvenience for lawful motorists.'
The Alberta border crossing is used by truckers transporting a range of goods across the border including food such as beef, and farm equipment.
'For the most part, trucks can cross at other ports. It might be a bit of a delay and an additional expense to get there, but it is something that they can do,' said Carrie Barrows, who manages one of the brokerages. '
Truck drivers and supporters protest against vaccine mandates in the trucking industry in Ottawa, Canada
Protestors gather around Parliament Hill while a large convoy of trucks blocks streets on Monday in Ottawa, Canada
The protest has attracted international attention and grown to become a wider demonstration against the federal government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic
Canadian truckers protest with a convoy of big rigs against vaccine mandates and Covid-19 measures in Ottawa on Monday
Tensions were high in the Canadian capital on Monday as protesting truckers brought the city to a standstill
The angry truckers are demanding Trudeau end vaccine mandates in Canada
Canadian truckers protest with a convoy of big rigs against vaccine mandates and Covid-19 measures in Ottawa, Canada
Protestors were demonstrating for a third consecutive day on Monday over a cross-border vaccine mandate for truckers imposed by the Liberal government
Demonstrators at the so-called Freedom Convoy have been mostly peaceful but the behaviour of some members of the crowd has been strongly criticised
The convoy began as a call to end a vaccine mandate imposed by the federal government on 15 January that would require unvaccinated Canadian truckers returning from across the US border to quarantine once they return home
The protest has since grown into a push to end all vaccine mandates nationwide and what supporters see as government overreach of Covid-19 restrictions
The crowd has since thinned but many protesters have indicated they plan to stay on until their demands are met
Around 90% of Canada's 120,000 cross-border truckers are vaccinated, in line with the country's adult population
Reports on social media indicate that truckers in the US may be planning a similar demonstration that would see them drive from California in the West to the country's capital in Washington DC
Thousands turned up over the weekend to rally in support of truckers using their vehicles to block access to Parliament Hill, and most of the downtown area Ottawa
Vehicles line downtown streets as truckers and supporters continue to protest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine mandates in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
After a week-long drive across Canada, a convoy of big rigs has arrived in the national capital to protest vaccine mandates
A demonstrator chooses a snack at a free food table in front of Parliament Hill as truckers and their supporters continue to protest against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine mandates in Ottawa
Demonstrators form a conga line in front of Parliament Hill as truckers and their supporters protest against vaccine mandates
The protest has attracted international attention and grown to become a wider demonstration against the federal government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic
It's been dubbed the Freedom Convoy, and it's got the country talking
A woman cries during a protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates January 31, 2022 in Ottawa, Canada. Thousands turned up over the weekend to rally in support of truckers using their vehicles to block access to Parliament Hill
Tommy, a Canadian sanitation worker who did not provide his last name, lights a fire outside his tent where he has stayed for the last five days in support of the truckers protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates
The protesters plan to stay in downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill for 'as long as it take' but their demands have grown from reversing the border vaccine mandate to ending all such mandates nationwide
Trudeau, 50, held a press conference from isolation at an undisclosed location after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier that day. Two of the prime minister's three children also tested positive for the virus.
'Over the past few days, Canadians were shocked and frankly, disgusted by the behavior displayed by some people protesting in our nation's capital,' Trudeau said, referring to the unrest in Ottawa, which began on Saturday.
When asked whether he was going to meet the protesters, Trudeau said he had no interest in going 'anywhere near protests that have expressed hateful rhetoric and violence towards their fellow citizens.'
The politician went on to assert that he had personally attended protests himself when he 'agreed with the goals' being fought for, such as those championed by Black Lives Matter, but dismissed the truckers' dissent - which was spurred by the politico's own policies - as 'racist' and 'violent.'
'I have attended protests and rallies in the past when I agreed with the goals, when I supported the people expressing their concerns and their issues,' Trudeau said.
'But I have also chosen to not go anywhere near protests that have expressed hateful rhetoric, violence towards fellow citizens, and a disrespect not just of science, but of the frontline health workers and quite frankly, the 90 per cent of truckers who have been doing the right thing to keep Canadians safe to put food on our tables.'
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has declared he will not be meeting with truckers currently overrunning Ottawa in protest of his vaccine mandate because of their 'hateful rhetoric,' as hundreds more disgruntled drivers flock to the southern tip of Alberta thousands of miles away, to block off traffic to and from the US
Roughly 50,000 Canadian truck drivers have showed up in Ottawa to protest against the prime minister's new vaccine mandates and quarantine rules for drivers
The double-pronged effort from the coalition of more than 50,000 Canadian truck drivers - which has remained largely peaceful - was spurred by recent policies implemented by Trudeau's office that declared that by January 15, all truckers in the country who are unvaccinated must take a COVID-19 test and quarantine when driving back from the states.
Per the progressive politician's new guidance, Canadian drivers who are not vaccinated are barred from entering the US until they have gotten the jab, while American drivers are currently not allowed into Canada unless they produce a certificate proving that they have been inoculated.
The policy comes in stark contrast to that of the nation's neighbor the south, with American drivers returning home to the US not required to test and quarantine.
During the address, Trudeau conceded that he understood the frustrations of the Canadian people regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but asserted that some of the behavior seen at the recent protests in the nation's capital, including swastikas, Confederate flags, and the desecrating of memorials, was unacceptable.
'I want to be very clear, we are not intimidated by those who hurl insults and abuse at small business workers, and steal food from the homeless. We won't give in to those who fly racist flags. We won't cave to those who engage in vandalism or dishonor the memory of our veterans.'
He added: 'Freedom of expression, assembly, and association are cornerstones of democracy. But Nazi symbolism, racist imagery, and desecration of war memorials are not. It is an insult to memory and truth. Hate can never be the answer.'
Trudeau then called on the protesting truckers - and the thousands supporting them - to put a halt to their actions.
'There is no place in our country for threats, violence or hatred,' he asserted. 'So for those responsible for this behavior, it needs to stop. To anyone who joined the convoy and was rightly uncomfortable with the symbols of hatred and division on display, join with your fellow Canadians. Be courageous, and speak out. Do not stand for, or with, intolerance and hate.'
In his speech, Trudeau went on to slam conservative politicians from his country for supporting the truckers' protests, warning them to 'think long and hard about the consequences of your actions.'
After the address, the prime minister doubled down on his stance in a series of posts on social media.
Earlier that morning, after fleeing his home with his family Sunday as thousands of truckers descended on the Canadian capital to protest the country's vaccine mandate and COVID lockdowns, Trudeau revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19.
The progressive politician pleaded for the protests to cease Monday afternoon, both in his address and on social media
Trudeau, 50, held a press conference from an undisclosed location Monday after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier that day. During the address, broadcasted remotely, the politician bashed truckers protesting his recent vaccine mandate
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that he has tested positive for COVID-19
'This morning, I tested positive for COVID-19,' the woke politician wrote on social media that morning.
'I'm feeling fine – and I'll continue to work remotely this week while following public health guidelines. Everyone, please get vaccinated and get boosted.'
Trudeau, who is vaccinated and has received a booster, is currently self-isolating at an undisclosed location after fleeing with his family from their home in the Canadian city as protesters convened, a four full days after the politician found out he had been exposed to the virus.
'Last night, I learned that I have been exposed to COVID-19,' Trudeau wrote on Twitter Thursday morning.
'My rapid test result was negative. I am following @OttawaHealth rules and isolating for five days. I feel fine and will be working from home. Stay safe, everyone – and please get vaccinated.'
The progressive prime minister provided no details on when or how he was exposed to the virus at the time, and his office has since not commented further on his positive test, which he said came early Monday morning.
The politico also did not divulge whether or not it was a rapid or PCR test that garnered the positive result, and has not yet updated the public as to his location.
Trudeau's revelation comes as the 'Freedom Convoy' of trucks - joined by thousands of demonstrators - brought Ottawa to a virtual standstill for a third day on Monday, as they protested the prime minister's vaccine mandates, forcing the prime minister to flee the city with his family due to 'security concerns.'
The decision to move the prime minister Saturday came after the sergeant-at-arms of the Canadian Parliament warned that protesters might show up at the homes of politicians, CBC reported.
Vehicles displaying protest signs are seen outside Parliament Hill, as demonstrations by truckers and their supporters against COVID vaccine mandates continue in Ottawa
The decision to move the prime minister Saturday came after the sergeant-at-arms of the Canadian Parliament warned that protesters might show up at the homes of politicians
Nathan (Jacko) Jack waves flags in front of trucks that are parked in front of Parliament Hill at a rally against COVID-19 restrictions on Monday
The protester removed the tires from his pickup truck stands in front of Parliament Hill during the proceedings on Monday
Parliamentary Protective Service officers were forced to don headsets for hearing protection during vaccine mandate protests Monday, against the blaring horns of thousands of trucks participating in the cross-country convoy
Trucks participating in the 'Freedom Convoy' protest against Trudeau's vaccine mandates carry hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of goods meant to be transported throughout the country and to the US. Participating trucks have been there, parked, for days - many since Saturday
The truckers say there is no 'end date' in sight and plan to stay in the capital 'for as long as it takes' and until the Canadian government flips and withdraws its policy on vaccine mandates
The protesting truckers say there is no 'end date' in sight and plan to stay in the capital 'for as long as it takes' and until the Canadian government flips and withdraws its policy on vaccine mandates.
The chaos clogged the capital's downtown near parliament throughout the weekend and brought criticism from officials, including Ottawa's mayor who said residents were 'prisoners in their own home.'
But the demonstrators say they intend to stay and that their aim is to 'create chaos' and a 'logistics nightmare' for Trudeau's government.
'Right now, yeah, it's really cold, but we hang in there, the days are going to get longer and we take this block party and put it into overdrive,' BJ Dichter, one of the organizers of the Freedom Convoy, said at a press conference. 'We're in this one for the long haul. We don't have a time limit.'
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