Since April 1, a group of anti-carbon tax protesters have been rallying against the Liberal government's decision to increase the tax burden on Canadians.

The protesters, who have been holding their demonstration at a rest stop along the highway near the Ontario and Quebec border, have spent more than eight days sleeping in their cars and trucks, collaborating with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Quebec's provincial police, to ensure everything was orderly and safe.

However, in the early hours of April 9, the SQ arrived with a Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility official to inform the protesters they were being removed from the premises at the ministry's request.

The ministry cited a safety risk, pointing to a regulation stating “It is prohibited to stop for a period of more than four hours or to spend the night” at rest stops.

Failure to comply with the demand, the SQ warned, would result in fines and arrests of the protesters. The group was given about 30 minutes to clean, pack up their belongings, and leave the area.

We reached out to the ministry for comment on the removal of the protesters but have not heard back as of this report.