Protest convoy continues to block traffic to U.S. border: RCMP

RCMP say a large demonstration continues to blockoff Highway 4 in southern Alberta on Sunday morning near the village of Coutts, Alta.,largely stopping traffic to and from theCanada-United States border crossing.

Cars, trucks, farm tractors and other vehicles have filled the highway from south of Lethbridge, Alta., to the Canada-United States border crossing inCoutts insupport of a national trucker convoy that has arrived in Ottawa, with a stated goal of protesting the trucker COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

On Sunday morning,RCMPsaid the Coutts border crossing was open but motorists can't reachit because of the vehicles filling the highway.

Access was blocked to the village of Couttson Saturday night, which was preventingemergency vehicle access to the community.

"That's one of our concerns at this point, is to be able to have ambulance, fire and police access into the village of Coutts, if someone needed to get in or out in an [emergency] basis," said RCMPConst. Curtis Peters.

Peters said RCMP is engaging in conversations with those involved in blocking the road.

In a tweet posted shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday, RCMPsaid it was advising motorists to stay away from Highway 4 south of Lethbridge to the border crossing.

"Traffic is not moving in either the northbound or southbound direction," the tweet read.

The protest in southern Alberta is in concert with aseparate national convoy,which launched from the four corners of Canada to go protest the new rules on Parliament Hill.Thousands of participants havearrived in Ottawa, with traffic jams reported throughout the region.

Earlier this month, federal rulesfor unvaccinated or partially vaccinated Canadiantruckers entering Canada from the U.S. took effect.

Truckerswho are not fully vaccinated must get a PCR test and quarantine.

Organizers reached out to Coutts MayorJim Willett earlier this week, lettingthe office know the convoy would not block entrances to the village.

The protest arrived near the community after 10 a.m. Saturday, andwas"everything they advertised it would be,"Willettsaid.

"It's very long, stretching off as far as you can see."

The protest came through the truck scale house, thenwas turned away by RCMPat the first entrance to Couttsprior to reaching the U.S. border,Willett said.

"Anybody in the convoy is being redirected back up the highway back up to Milk River," he said. "They're not getting anywhere close to the border."

Meanwhile, the Canada Border Services Agency is monitoring the situation and is ready to respond to "any events impeding the flow of traffic" at the Coutts border crossing, an agency spokesperson told CBC News.

Border crossings are ports that must not be accessed by people not trying to cross, the spokesperson said.

It's an offence under the Customs Actto hinder a border services officer from being able to do their work, they added.

Anotherprotest, also in support of the national trucker convoy, arrivedat the Alberta Legislature Saturday afternoon.