London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Freedom Convoy: Blockade at Alberta border crossing 'unlawful'

Freedom Convoy: Blockade at Alberta border crossing 'unlawful'

Tensions are rising at one of the US-Canada border's busiest ports of entry over a vehicle blockade that has halted traffic and disrupted services.

The demonstration is tied to the ongoing nationwide "Freedom Convoy" protests over Canada's new restrictions on unvaccinated cross-border truckers.

Some motorists and area residents have reportedly been stuck in standstill since the protest began on Saturday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Alberta said the event was "unlawful".

They said "extensive efforts" to negotiate with protest organisers had failed and the force has tapped "additional resources" to make arrests or tow trucks if needed.

"While we thought we had a path to resolve this, the protesters chose not to comply," a statement said.

The Freedom Convoy began as a call to end a federal vaccine mandate that would require unvaccinated Canadian truckers returning from across the US border to quarantine and get tested once they are home.

It has since grown into a push to end all vaccine mandates nationwide and what supporters see as government overreach of 1Covid1-19 restrictions.

But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would not engage with, or cave in to, the demands of protestors. "My focus is standing with Canadians and getting through this pandemic," he said.

The line-up of trucks in Alberta extends for several miles along the main Highway 4 into the border village of Coutts.

Some 250 people live in Coutts and Mayor Jim Willett said the protest was blocking residents' access to the grocery store and the gas station, and playing havoc with mail delivery and school bus pickups.

"Once they blocked off commerce and blocked off the highway, they lost some of my sympathy because now you've gone beyond protest," he told CBC News.

Officials across the border in the US state of Montana have also reportedly turned away motorists trying to cross into Canada.

Alberta's minister of transportation Rajan Sawhney said dozens of truckers have been stranded since the weekend with little access to food or medical assistance.

"Everyone has the right to protest peacefully, but our supply chain and the livelihoods of those trying to cross the border should not suffer because of that," she wrote on Twitter, calling for "a peaceful resolution" to the blockade.

But there are few signs the protest is nearing its end. The crowd of demonstrators that spilled into the capital city of Ottawa over the weekend has thinned, but organisers have pledged to create a "logistics nightmare" for the government.

A GoFundMe page to support the convoy has raised more than C$9m ($7m; £5.2m).

Several US public figures, from Donald Trump to Elon Musk, have endorsed the protest, and there are reports another convoy could make its way from California to Washington DC in protest of similar 1Covid1 rules for cross-border truckers in the US.

Officials are concerned about how the demonstrations will impact the economies of both countries as they continue to recover from the pandemic.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has called on officials from both governments "to suspend the application of the quarantine requirement for truckers" and work more closely on supply chain issues.

But Mr Kenney - who says the blockade violates the Alberta Traffic Safety Act - has also called for an immediate end to the protests, saying they have caused "significant inconvenience for lawful motorists".

He warned those involved that, under provincial law, they could face fines or jail sentences for creating unsafe conditions on the highway.

"If participants in this convoy cross the line and break the law, I expect police to take appropriate action," he said.

Comments

Oh ya 3 year ago
Were are the American truckers on the other side of the border at this crossing? If they had any balls they would be blocking up there hiway to this crossing.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×