Hundreds gather at 'peaceful' rally as Coutts blockade suspects appear in Lethbridge court

Lethbridge police say though a Friday court appearance for three men charged in connection to the Coutts Border blockade brought an influx of people to the area the gathering was "peaceful."

Marco Van Huigenbos, 32, a Fort Macleod town councillor; Alex Van Herk, 53; and Gerhard "George" Janzen, 43, are all charged with mischief over $5,000.

When Van Huigenbos, Van Herk and Janzen last appeared in court, a few dozen people went to the Lethbridge courthouse for the occasion, while others arrived in vehicles, prompting police to shut down a number of roads for a few hours due to the traffic.

Police said the night before Friday's appearance that they were again expecting a large crowd.

The hearing Friday was short, with proceedings adjourned until Dec. 12, but the crowd took a while to disperse.  

"It’s not just about us three," said Van Huigenbos. "It's about all of us, and we're standing with you guys, and you're standing with us, and we just want to say we really appreciate what you guys are doing out here with us."

Lethbridge police say they worked with Alberta Sheriffs, RCMP and the Calgary Police Service to maintain public safety while also "respecting the democratic right to peaceful assembly" for the 500 people who had gathered at the courthouse.

"Roads and business access in the area remained open to regular vehicle and foot traffic throughout the event, however police were stationed at various intersections to restrict tractor trailers and other heavy equipment from leaving truck routes to enter the downtown core," said a Friday news release.

"Earlier this morning a slow-moving convoy of supporters also made their way around the perimeter of the downtown core but there were no disruptions to the flow of regular vehicle traffic."

Police said with the exception of a few "parking challenges" because of the increase in vehicles, no police action was required.