Manitoba border blockade to end soon, RCMP say
CBC
The last of the protesters involved in the week-long Canada-U.S. border blockade at Emerson, Man., will be escorted away by noon on Wednesday, RCMP say.
Once that happens, all lanes will be reopened to traffic, RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Paul Manaigre said.
Manaigre gave an update Wednesday morning on Highway 75 near the U.S. border, which up to 75 vehicles — including semi-trailer trucks, pickup trucks, farm and construction machinery and even snowplows — have blocked since Feb. 10.
Some trucks started pulling out Tuesday, when the Mounties said they had reached a resolution and were co-ordinating an end to the blockade with those protesters still there.
"We didn't want to rush in" and issue tickets or make arrests, Manaigre said when asked why it took a week to deal with an issue that Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has said affected $73 million in trade a day.
"Communication resulted in what we have today. To me it was the best course of action," he said.
The situation has been resolved without injuries, arrests, charges or anything being towed, he said.
"It's a perfect solution."
That said, a different situation in a different province might call for swifter action and perhaps have a different outcome, Manaigre said.
"But we felt, like I say, the way the situation was developing here, we needed to take a prudent and safe measure."
The promise of no arrests in exchange for a peaceful departure was part of the dialogue the RCMP had with the protesters over the past few days, he said.
"They wanted to get their message across, which I believe they have, and we wanted to make sure they understood where we were coming from."
Despite the blockade of all lanes heading to U.S. customs, protesters allowed some cargo, such as medical supplies and livestock, to pass through during the week.
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