As anti-carbon tax protests continues just south of Cochrane along Highway 1, the RCMP states that they will continue to monitor the situation from a distance and will respect their right to lawfully protest.
Media relations officer, Cpl. Gina Slaney, said that when the protest first started on April 1, the RCMP initially had a police presence to monitor the situation.
“We’ve since determined that we don’t need to be there,” Slaney said. “It’s been peaceful and, for the most part, lawful.
“So, we’re just monitoring it from a distance.”
Slaney added that the RCMP respects the right for everybody to protest lawfully in Canada.
“We just encourage everybody to make sure that they’re following the rules,” Slaney said.
Slaney did note that there were a few instances of slow-moving traffic along Highway 1 due to the protest. She explained that slow moving traffic along major highways, like Hwy 1, can be dangerous for motorists.
“We did have an incident in Crowsnest Pass where we had a slow-moving farm equipment moving to the protest site and it is still under investigation, but it is believed that those slow-moving vehicles were the reason why a collision occurred,” Slaney said. “We just want protesters to keep that in mind that our goal is to make sure everybody is safe.”
In the event that traffic is impeded, Slaney said the RCMP will enforce the rules of the road. But as of right now, the RCMP will continue to monitor the situation from a distance.
“We’re still monitoring it, but from a distance,” Slaney said. “Everything seems kosher at this point. However, if rules start to be broken or laws start to be broken, then we will enforce the rules and laws.”
