Protesters in Downtown Winnipeg plan to stay put despite provincial plan to end mandates

Despite plans from the province to lift all restrictions by mid-March, organizers of the protest in Downtown Winnipeg say they are sticking around for the long haul.

Despite plans from the province to lift all restrictions by mid-March, organizers of the protest in Downtown Winnipeg say they are sticking around for the long haul.

With pressure on the doorstep to end pandemic mandates, Premier Heather Stefanson was clear, the decision to remove rules around proof of vaccination and mask use next month, has nothing to do with the demonstration outside the legislature.

“We don’t make decisions that are this important to Manitobans based on protests that are taking place," Stefanson said on Friday.

The protest outside the Manitoba Legislature has remained since it first arrived on Feb. 4.

Caleb Brown, a co-organizer of the protest, said they are encouraged by Stefanson’s pledge.

"It seems like she is really trying to unite people and bring sides that have been separated for a while to bring them together," Brown said, adding the convoy of trucks is not going anywhere until all mandates are gone.

“We are staying until the federal government comes to the table and drops all the mandates, vacates them.”