Achi news desk-
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. –
Closing arguments are scheduled today for three men accused of orchestrating a border shutdown in Coutts, Alta., in early 2022.
Alex Van Herk, Marco Van Huigenbos, and Gerhard Janzen have been charged not guilty to a charge of mischief over $5,000.
The Crown has presented evidence it says proves the trio led the protest that connected cross-border traffic between Alberta and Montana for two weeks in early 2022 in protest of the COVID-era rules and restrictions.
The Crown adds that the case is not about COVID-19 or free speech but simply that people cannot decide on their own to close a major transportation gateway.
The defense has argued that the protest group was made up of competing interests and that it was not clear who was calling the shots.
The jury is expected to begin deliberating once it receives instructions from the judge.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on April 16, 2024.
