Following a police incident uncovering a large cache of weapons at the Coutts blockade, along with the prime minister invoking the Emergencies Act, Coutts protesters are pulling out Tuesday morning..Blockaders arrived in Coutts January 29 and intermittently blocked lanes to and from the Canada-US border for more than two weeks.. Coutts BlockadeAerial photo of the Coutts Border Blockade at an early date. .With the exception of some protesters blowing past an RCMP checkpoint, protests have been peaceful with no arrests until early Monday morning when police raided a location near the Coutts blockade, seizing weapons and have since arrested 13 individuals..“There are a lot of different emotions out here,” said Abe Martens, a trucker and protester at the Coutts blockade..“Because of what’s happened with the police situation, we think it’s the right thing to do,” he said on the decision by truckers to leave..“Those people involved with the police situation were not associated with us whatsoever, but the media will spin it that they were and that’s the last thing we want.”.Mainstream media coverage of the blockade led to the spread of misinformation around the protests in Coutts and at an RCMP checkpoint in Milk River..Martens said he and others felt the timing of the discovery of weapons with a group near the blockade is “convenient” and said the idea this group and weapons were planted has “crossed all our minds.”.“How convenient. We’ve been here for over two weeks and this just happens to come up the same day (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau brings in the Emergencies Act,” said Martens..“I don’t want to come across as a conspiracy theorist, but this sure would give them leverage to have us forcibly removed.. thumbnail_DJI_0546Aerial photo of Coutts border blockade at an earlier date courtesy Nathan Berger .“If things get violent and ugly, it ruins our message. We were here peacefully and are now leaving on our own terms.”.Martens said the truckers are all gearing up and rolling out through the morning..Marko Van Huigenbos — one of the protest organizers who has been on site since the start — said he feels good about the decision they have made to end the blockade at this time..“I feel good; this is the right decision considering the events that have taken place,” Van Huigenbos told the Western Standard.. WATCH: Protesters retreating at Coutts border blockadePhoto of weapons seized by RCMP at a location near the Coutts blockade .“This was a unified decision. We are disappointed we did not accomplish what we came here to do, but we feel we’ve accomplished more than we ever could.”.Van Huigenbos said nearly 100 vehicles currently at the Coutts blockade are starting to roll out..“It’s time for us to go back to our normal lives, have a hot shower and get a good night’s sleep.”.Although Van Huigenbos said he is unaware of any further plans to protest for the truckers, Martens said, ” we are not giving up.”.Martens said organizers and protesters plan to return to the area through the week to finish cleaning up the area and make sure residents are happy with how things have been left..The Western Standard contacted RCMP for comment and an update on whether charges have been laid against those taken into custody early Monday morning, but have had no response..More to come….Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
Following a police incident uncovering a large cache of weapons at the Coutts blockade, along with the prime minister invoking the Emergencies Act, Coutts protesters are pulling out Tuesday morning..Blockaders arrived in Coutts January 29 and intermittently blocked lanes to and from the Canada-US border for more than two weeks.. Coutts BlockadeAerial photo of the Coutts Border Blockade at an early date. .With the exception of some protesters blowing past an RCMP checkpoint, protests have been peaceful with no arrests until early Monday morning when police raided a location near the Coutts blockade, seizing weapons and have since arrested 13 individuals..“There are a lot of different emotions out here,” said Abe Martens, a trucker and protester at the Coutts blockade..“Because of what’s happened with the police situation, we think it’s the right thing to do,” he said on the decision by truckers to leave..“Those people involved with the police situation were not associated with us whatsoever, but the media will spin it that they were and that’s the last thing we want.”.Mainstream media coverage of the blockade led to the spread of misinformation around the protests in Coutts and at an RCMP checkpoint in Milk River..Martens said he and others felt the timing of the discovery of weapons with a group near the blockade is “convenient” and said the idea this group and weapons were planted has “crossed all our minds.”.“How convenient. We’ve been here for over two weeks and this just happens to come up the same day (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau brings in the Emergencies Act,” said Martens..“I don’t want to come across as a conspiracy theorist, but this sure would give them leverage to have us forcibly removed.. thumbnail_DJI_0546Aerial photo of Coutts border blockade at an earlier date courtesy Nathan Berger .“If things get violent and ugly, it ruins our message. We were here peacefully and are now leaving on our own terms.”.Martens said the truckers are all gearing up and rolling out through the morning..Marko Van Huigenbos — one of the protest organizers who has been on site since the start — said he feels good about the decision they have made to end the blockade at this time..“I feel good; this is the right decision considering the events that have taken place,” Van Huigenbos told the Western Standard.. WATCH: Protesters retreating at Coutts border blockadePhoto of weapons seized by RCMP at a location near the Coutts blockade .“This was a unified decision. We are disappointed we did not accomplish what we came here to do, but we feel we’ve accomplished more than we ever could.”.Van Huigenbos said nearly 100 vehicles currently at the Coutts blockade are starting to roll out..“It’s time for us to go back to our normal lives, have a hot shower and get a good night’s sleep.”.Although Van Huigenbos said he is unaware of any further plans to protest for the truckers, Martens said, ” we are not giving up.”.Martens said organizers and protesters plan to return to the area through the week to finish cleaning up the area and make sure residents are happy with how things have been left..The Western Standard contacted RCMP for comment and an update on whether charges have been laid against those taken into custody early Monday morning, but have had no response..More to come….Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
