Coutts Three trial: RCMP witness states protest lacked clear, discernible leadership

"There may come a point where I will take the stand to set the record straight," Marco Van Huigenbos, one of the Coutts Three defendants, told Rebel News on Friday after the fifth day of proceedings in his, Alex Van Herk's, and George Janzen's trial in Lethbridge, AB.

The three defendants are being charged with mischief over $5,000 for their involvement in the Coutts border blockade and protest of 2022, which took place concurrently with the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa, ON. The two peaceful protests involved civil disobedience and shared opposition to governmental decrees, edicts, and mandates marketed as "public health" measures in response to COVID-19.

"I'm not looking to take the stand, but there may come a point where I will take the stand to set the record straight on a few things and to inform the jury on why we were there as law-abiding, white-collar and blue-collar Canadians," Van Huigenbos said.

He reflected on government-imposed restrictions – marketed as "public health" measures to reduce COVID-19 transmission – upon the freedoms of association, movement, and religious observance in 2022.

"I remember why we were there," he stated. "What drove us there were the restrictions and the tyranny that was being put on the people, visiting dying family members – our grandparents, fathers and mothers – there were restrictions on them."

He recalled government-imposed "vaccination" requirements on family members seeking to comfort and visit ailing and dying loved ones in hospitals and nursing homes, including arbitrary capacity limits for funeral processions and other religious observances.

He added, "Families could not attend the dying breaths of their loved ones."

The day's proceedings primarily revolved around the questioning and cross-examination of Crown witness Mark Wielgosz, an RCMP officer with over 20 years of experience who operated as a liaison between the federal law enforcement agency and the Coutts protesters. Several of his remarks during testimony related to what he said was a lack of leadership over the Coutts demonstration.

When asked if he could identify the leaders of the demonstration in Smuggler's Saloon – a gathering spot used by many of the Coutts protesters – Wielgosz replied, "Not at all."

The Crown has alleged that the three defendants constituted the leadership of the Coutts blockade and demonstration, and as such exerted command and control over the protesters.

"There was no discernible leadership," Van Herk told Rebel News when asked about the relevance of Wielgosz's claims of a lack of evident leadership over the protest.

Crown prosecutor Aaron Rankin introduced videos recorded by Rebel News as evidentiary exhibits in the trial. In several of these videos, Van Herk was seen speaking, relaying his impression and understanding of the demonstrators' wishes and intentions. Wielgosz also testified that he liaised with Van Herk in efforts to communicate with the protest as a whole.

Michael Johnston, Van Herk's defence counsel, asked Wielgosz if his role as a "messenger" for the RCMP during the Coutts protest amounted to Wielgosz becoming a "leader" of the RCMP. Wielgosz agreed that relaying messages from the RCMP did not make him an RCMP leader in his capacity as a police liaison to the protesters.

Every video entered as evidence in the trial was recorded by Rebel News and featured a Rebel News watermark.