Coutts blockade treated with kid-gloves

Contrast how the cops handle the anti-vaxx cavalcade with other protest movements

CTV News was live on the scene of the truckers’ blockade of a Canadian border crossing, which was largely dispersed Tuesday. (Screenshot)

Four days went by before police warned an all-white cavalcade blocking the border crossing from Alberta to Montana, in the Village of Coutts, that if they continued to block the border they could possibly get arrested.

Ted McCoy @tedmccoy

That’s all it took? Why didn’t the cops tell them that to begin with? https://t.co/B8wV5CTYrw

Kevin Nimmock @KevinCTV

BREAKING: Blockade protesters at the Coutts border have just begun leaving the scene. They had a choice: leave or be arrested. https://t.co/HYvQPx8Wp4

On Tuesday, a deceptive CTV News chyron read “RCMP Action On Alberta Blockade,” but that  ‘action’ is more of a stern talking-to than the action we’ve seen law enforcement mete out to other protest movements that all happen to be led by people of colour. 

In a statement, the RCMP conceded its approach of doing nothing hadn’t worked to open the border, so it opted to treat the blockaders with kid-gloves instead. 

It’s unclear, as of writing, if any arrests have been made, or even tickets handed out. 

This blockade is a gesture of solidarity with the white-supremacist-led Canada Unity convoy to Ottawa, which ostensibly calls for the end to the few remaining COVID restrictions across Canada, but is in fact a smorgasbord of far-right grievances. 

United We Roll all over again

The RCMP tweeted Monday that they were engaged in negotiations to reach a “peaceful solution” to the standoff. “While we thought we had a path to resolve this,” the Mounties wrote. “The protestors chose not to comply.” 

RCMP Alberta @RCMPAlberta

1/2 In an effort to find a peaceful resolution, the Alberta RCMP had been negotiating with the protesters at the #Coutts border crossing throughout the day. While we thought we had a path to resolve this, the protesters chose not to comply.

“These folks have a right to lawful protest,” RCMP Cpl. Curtis Peters told The Canadian Press. “I've encouraged them to return to that and, if that takes place, there will be no need for those enforcement actions.”