Anti-COVID mandate protestors break through Surrey RCMP barricade

Protesters in a local convoy against COVID-19 mandates made their way to Surrey’s Pacific Highway border crossing on Saturday, some breaking through the barricade on the Pacific Highway

Photos taken Saturday afternoon and posted online showed the group at the actual border, and not camped out at Hwy 15 and 8th Avenue like they had been all day.

The so-called Freedom Convoy that travelled from Chilliwack to Surrey remained peaceful according to Cpl. Vanessa Munn with the Surrey RCMP. However, she says a few commercial trucks and military-style vehicles broke through an RCMP barricade driving the wrong way down 176 Street.

“While no injuries were reported as a result of the incident, this had the potential for harm to pedestrians and first responders. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated and is being investigated,” she said.

By evening, much of the crowd had dispersed.

A taste of what’s happening on 176th Street near the Pacific Highway truck border crossing in Surrey, which is effectively closed. DriveBC cameras don’t quite capture how many people are there to protest vaccine mandates/restrictions #bcpoli #cndpoli pic.twitter.com/DYea8mE2hY

— Monika Gul (@MonikaGul) February 13, 2022

Munn says Mounties are working with provincial and federal RCMP units and the Canada Border Services Agency.

“The RCMP’s objective is to restore the orderly flow of traffic in the safest manner possible.”

Munn adds that crowds have started to dissipate but there are still many people walking in the area.

Drivers are warned that there is significant traffic congestion on 176 Street near 8 Avenue and the Surrey RCMP is advising drivers to stay away from the area.

A separate convoy drove through the Okanagan to Osoyoos, where Mayor Sue McKortoff says she hoped demonstrators wouldn’t block the border crossing.

The demonstration did eventually make their way to the border.

Related Articles: 

• Protest convoys clogging border entries ‘sabotaging’ struggling businesses: advocates

• Another protest convoy drives through Metro Vancouver as tensions flare across Canada

In Victoria, police said they deployed temporary closed-circuit TV cameras to support operations and ensure public safety during protests at the legislature.

Ahead of the demonstrations, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce wrote an open letter to governments asking them to give police the support and appropriate tools needed to restore public order as protests against COVID-19 measures disrupt border traffic across the country.

Anita Huberman heads the Surrey Board of Trade, which is a member of the business group, and said businesses can’t take any more of this. She says even before the so-called Freedom Convoys, the supply chain was stretched. However, Huberman says these demonstrations add unnecessary strain and are “choking” businesses.

“It’s unacceptable, and they’re sabotaging the economy,” she said.

CityNews recently heard from a local business owner about the protest at Pacific Gateway Village. He said his main concern was about safety, noting there is a daycare nearby and that the parking lot many of the demonstrators use is often where parents will park when picking up or dropping their children off.

“These kids come out of daycare and they bolt every time… and the parents are forever chasing them to stop them from running out in the middle of the parking lot, and it’s a battle with a four-year-old, three-year-old. And you’ve got these big F-150s in there with flags and music cranking, they’re not paying attention. It only takes a little bit more negative energy before somebody makes a mistake, and that’s my biggest worry, that somebody’s kid gets hit by a car,” the man said.

Many provincial restrictions are set to expire next week on Feb. 16 at 11:59 p.m., but the province has extended restrictions in the past, often with very little notice.

The RCMP is advising the public to check for road closure information on Drivebc.ca, and monitor local media for information and alternate routes.