RCMP say they will try to move border protesters to 2nd location

RCMP in Coutts, Alta., say they're going to try to have protesters move to a second location as the land border remains at an impasse. 

Supt. Roberta McKale with the Alberta RCMP said a safe location has been provided near Milk River, Alta. She said police will try to encourage protesters to move there, beginning at 1 p.m. Wednesday. 

She said RCMP want people to choose to move on their own, but police are prepared to enact further enforcement, including ticketing people. 

"Up until this point, it's been us asking them. This afternoon, we don't have an option, we're going to have to use our enforcement options in order to have that happen," she said. 

"You can't arrest your way out of the choices that people are making … the best thing is for them to make the decision to leave. And they've got to go."

She said even if protesters unblock the border, they will need to leave the area. 

Protesters have been at the land border for 12 days with on-and-off blockades, making travel between the United States and Canada inaccessible at times. 

Both directions of traffic remained closed Wednesday morning due to the blockade. Protesters have been demanding an end to vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers, as well as the lifting of a host of other public health restrictions related to COVID-19.

The most recent closure comes after Premier Jason Kenney said Tuesday evening that Alberta's vaccine passport would end at midnight, with most other COVID-19 health restrictions set to be lifted three weeks later.

McKale said RCMP are not commenting on the number of police and support agencies on site, but notes different levels of RCMP have been on scene all week. 

Public safety for all is a concern, McKale said, adding protesters have set up fire pits in ditches, posing a fire risk with high winds. RCMP have already issued some tickets.

"Consuming alcohol in the middle of the night and then wandering on the road is unsafe," she said.  

Danny McKay, a protest participant, told CBC News on Tuesday that she thinks the announcement that public health restrictions in the province would be eased is "lies and empty promises." 

She said the protesters aren't leaving, and they will honk horns until "freedoms improve."