RCMP arrest 4 people for mischief at border protests in Surrey, B.C.

RCMP arrested four people for mischief on Sunday at pandemic protests close to the Pacific Highway border crossing in Surrey, B.C.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) told travellers to avoid the Pacific Highway border crossing, which usually handles a large amount of commercial traffic, as vaccine mandate protesters continued to block highways.

It comes after protests against public health measures brought hundreds of demonstrators to the border crossing on Saturday, with officers saying some broke barricades during the rally.

As of 9 a.m. PT on Monday, the road leading to the crossing remains closed and police are still on site, RCMP said — though the crossing itself remains open, according to the CBSA.

On Saturday, the force said protests in Surrey had been mainly peaceful, but some people breached police barricades and drove in the opposite direction along 176 Street. 

Police did not immediately provide details on Sunday about who was arrested for mischief and if those arrested were still in custody or had been released.

In a statement on Sunday, the CBSA said it was experiencing significant delays due to the protests and advised commercial traffic to use the Aldergrove and Abbotsford-Huntington border crossings instead.

Surrey RCMP reported significant traffic delays near the border over the weekend.

A CBSA spokesperson encouraged commuters and travellers to check the CBSA website for current wait times and conditions.

"The CBSA recognizes border disruptions affect both travellers and industry and is working collaboratively with law enforcement partners to restore normal border operations at affected ports of entry as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said.

Rallies against public health measures have entered their third week across the country with some observers reporting threatening behaviour from demonstrators. Numerous noise complaints have been filed over loud honking.