(Lethbridge News Now)

By LNN Staff

RCMP cut fuel lines of excavators heading to Coutts protest

Feb 14, 2022 | 3:34 PM

COUTTS, AB – RCMP are reiterating that they are not allowing people to enter the Coutts area unless they have a lawful purpose for being there.

The reminder comes following a matter involving officers near the convoy protest and the drivers of three excavators on Highway 4.

Superintendent Roberta McKale told LNN that officers were made aware of the heavy vehicles approaching the RCMP checkpoints and roadblocks.

“We’ve told people to stay away from the area multiple times and certainly didn’t have the capacity to take any additional heavy equipment into here. There is no reason for heavy equipment to be brought into our perimeter here, and we gave them the opportunity to remove them and they were only moved [a] short distance and then dropped off.”

A few members of the public told our newsroom that the excavators were not heading to the protest and the drivers were not protesters, but rather, were farmers simply moving their equipment around.

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McKale says this was not the case and that RCMP had corroborated with the protest organizers that this group was expected.

She adds that the excavators “would have been very dangerous” if they were brought to the convoy.

“When they didn’t comply to remove them, that’s exactly when we had to disable them and we cut wires and, as well, fuel lines.”

It was RCMP’s belief that cutting the fuel lines on these vehicles was a necessary step to prevent them from being involved in the protest.

McKale was unable to confirm if there were any additional penalties levied against the owners of the excavators or how many people were involved.

LNN has attempted to reach out to the owners of the excavators to get their side of the story but we have not heard back at the time of publication. Others who were supposedly aware of the incident told us they would try to get into contact with the owners.

Over the weekend, the Canada Border Services Agency temporarily suspended all border activities at Coutts due to the protest, which has been ongoing for more than two weeks.

READ MORE: CBSA temporarily suspends service at Coutts and freedom rally protest converges on Coaldale