Vaccine mandate protesters in B.C. again block access to U.S. border crossing

Demonstrations against public health measures have forced RCMP to block access to the U.S. border crossing in Surrey, B.C., for the second weekend in a row.

As of 7 p.m. Saturday, police had not made any arrests at the site, a spokesperson said. But that could change "should the protest become unlawful," said Surrey RCMP Sgt. Elenore Sturko.

"There are a number of children in the crowd and people who are very impassioned about what's happening," Sturko told CBC News. "So our primary concern at this time is we want to keep this safe, and we are asking everyone to avoid the area."

Police are now investigating several incidents involving "intimidation" of reporters from several media outlets, including CBC News, who were "surrounded and swarmed by protesters, Sturko said.

"We had some incidents today where members of the press had been surrounded and swarmed by protesters," she said. "We won't condone any unlawful behaviour, including threats, intimidation or harassment."

Convoys of vehicles made their way to the border crossing Saturday from Vancouver and Chilliwack, B.C., as vaccine mandate protesters have now disrupted traffic in the Lower Mainland for the fourth straight weekend.

More than a dozen people were arrested at the Pacific Highway border crossing last week, with some protesters breaching blockades amid reports of harassment and threatening behaviour.

Despite the border being opened again last week after Mounties cleared out protesters, demonstrators forced another highway closure on Saturday at the intersection of 8th Avenue and 176 Street.

"As a preventative measure, and to help ensure public and officer safety, vehicles and pedestrians cannot access the Pacific Highway border crossing at this time," a spokesperson for Surrey RCMP said in a statement.

"The public are advised to use alternate border crossings during this service disruption until further notice."

At about 2:30 p.m. PT, DriveBC in a tweet that said Highway 15 from 8th Ave. to the border crossing is closed "due to a police incident." RCMP confirmed the border is still closed as of 7 p.m. PT, and said they could not provide an estimate for when it might reopen.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) advises people to use other B.C. crossings located in Aldergrove and Abbotsford.

Police across Canada, including in Victoria, are continuing to deal with protests against vaccine mandates, with the Prime Minister authorizing use of emergency powers under the Emergencies Act to deal with them.

B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth has said B.C. supports the use of the act to deal with protesters.