Anti-carbon tax protesters hold the line, led by protest organizer Miranda Courts on April 6. Photo courtesy of Dallon Byrt
Lloydminster anti-carbon tax protesters continue to stand their ground at the Alberta Information Centre on the east side of the city.
The westbound lane was closed completely on Saturday afternoon, and traffic was re-routed to the south. The police presence was substantial, but the media wasn’t allowed to enter the property.
“It was hours and hours of this stand-off with us and every bit of what they asked us to do, we did,” said protest organizer Miranda Courts Sunday.
“They told us to stand behind the cat tails in the ditch—we all went back to the hill. We were told we could be on the sides of the access road here because it’s private property and we have permission.”
During the first three days of the protest, they were allowed to stand on the shoulder of the road with signs and flags. They shut down the right lane as a safety buffer and enforced a 30/kph speed limit. But by Wednesday evening things had changed.
“Wednesday night it was no, sorry, you’ve got to be at the grass line. So Wednesday late night we moved to the grass line,” said Courts.
“We woke up Thursday morning to find out—no, no, no sorry. We changed our minds again, now you have to be up on the hill. So we moved up on the hill—which is private property.”
She said the reason RCMP gave for the change was they were ‘impeding traffic by being a distraction’.
Spokesperson for the Saskatchewan RCMP Keely Grasser said the officers that were called in on Saturday afternoon were there in the name of safety.
“As you saw, Saskatchewan RCMP officers are on the scene there. They are monitoring the protest and what they’re doing is ensuring the protestors are exercising their right to protest, which we acknowledge, in a safe and lawful way.
“We worked with the organizers. We reminded them of that law, and we’ve provided some suggestions of safe and legal areas where they could exercise that right,” said Grasser.
“We’re just trying to keep it lawful and also safe for both the protesters and the people that are driving through.”
There was an arrest made Saturday afternoon. A 61-year-old great-grandmother was charged with mischief and detained for about six hours.
“She kind of got pushed back a little bit by the cops and so she pushed back. They said if you cross that line you’re going to get arrested and that’s what they said to all of us, and she just snapped and she stepped over the line and she said ‘Then arrest me’.
“And they literally did. They roughly took her up to the vehicles and placed her under arrest,” said Courts, adding once she was released, she was not allowed to return to the protest.
Protesters remain at the site day and night in opposition of the carbon tax, and they welcome people to stop in. Courts said the honking support is constant and appreciated but they really do want that in-person connection as well.
“That horn honking is totally grass-roots and it is literally all day and night. We hear it at 2,3,4,5 in the morning. The support is all the time,” said Courts.
“If anyone wants to know what’s going on out here, feel free to come on out. We have breakfast, lunch and supper. Come out for dinner, come talk to us.”
