Mischief charges against 'key participants' of Coutts blockade adjourned until Nov. 4

On September 16, RCMP charged three individuals, Alex, Marco and George, with mischief over $5,000. The three men have been accused by RCMP of being 'key participants' of the Coutts blockade.

The blockade was a peaceful protest against vaccine mandates at the Canada-U.S. border between Sweet Grass, Montana, and Coutts, Alberta, which took place from January 29 to February 15 of this year. This protest saw the lifting of COVID restrictions and vaccine mandates in Alberta, and acted as a catalyst for Premier Jason Kenney stepping down as leader of the United Conservative Party.

For our complete coverage of the Coutts blockade, go to TruckerDefenceFund.ca, where you can stay up to date on the latest from this historic story. You can donate there to the legal defence of the many people who have been ticketed and charged in relation to the blockade.

This week, the three men appeared at the Lethbridge Courthouse. After brief consideration, the case has now been adjourned until November 4, at which point we will find out more about these charges.

The scene outside Lethbridge courthouse where Canadian truckers and farmers showed up in support for Coutts blockade protesters who are charged with mischief over $5.000.

If you want to know the back story and the full report by @SydFizzard check out https://t.co/gRYdWe6mNT pic.twitter.com/2e9B3iDLkg

— Abdusselam Bezirgan (@BezirganMocha) October 4, 2022

Outside the Courthouse, protesters came to show their support for the three accused. Throughout the morning, trucks and tractors found their way to the Courthouse, though police had shut down many roads in the area. Notable figures such as Independence Party of Alberta leader Pastor Artur Pawlowski, former Calgary MP Rob Anders, and Whistle Stop Café owner Chris Scott were in attendance.

At least one individual was pulled over by police for honking in support. When we spoke with the driver, he informed us that he would be getting a ticket for honking. Another individual who brought a tractor as a show of support was aggressively cut off by a police officer. When those responsible for moving the tractor attempted to leave, this cop prevented them from doing so. After two other officers pulled the first one aside in order to address the situation reasonably, the first officer then moved his vehicle to allow the farmers to return to work.

Crowdfunded donations for the three men's legal counsel are being raised by generous supporters through TruckerDefenceFund.ca.

UPDATE: Rebel News is crowdfunding the legal defence for Alex Van Herk and George Janzen.