Achi news desk-
Three men who helped lead and coordinate the 2022 border blockade in Coutts, Alta., have been found guilty of public mischief.
A jury from Lethbridge wasted no time in delivering the verdict in front of a crowd of supporters of the men.
In 2022, during a protest over COVID restrictions, Gerhard (George) Janzen told CTV News cameras that he was ready to sacrifice a lot for Coutts’ movement.
“I’m ready to go to jail for what’s right. I’m ready for it,” he said at the time.
Two years later and 100 kilometers down the road, jail time is a very real possibility.
Janzen, Alex Van Herk and Marco Van Huigenbos have been convicted of mischief over $5,000.
Three hours is all it took for a jury to reach its decision, which was surprised by a courtroom full of protest supporters.
“I may be guilty, but I’m not gone,” said Van Huigenbos.
“We were there to hold the government accountable. The accountability battle goes on. It’s never been done.”
Van Herk thanked the jury in a statement for fulfilling their oaths.
“We’ll see how that plays out in terms of other cases down the road when people want to protest against some of the government’s decisions,” said Trevor Harrison, a political scientist at the University of Lethbridge.
The maximum sentence for public mischief over $5,000 is 10 years in prison, and some predict that a deterrent sentence could be given to send a message.
“Given that we are likely to see more protests in the future regarding other issues,” Harrison said.
In its argument, the Crown claimed that the evidence showed that the three men were key players and had become the faces of the siege.
A pre-sentence report has been ordered, and this case will appear again on July 22.
With files from The Canadian Press
