Several hundred demonstrators lined the highway and the 264th St. overpass in Aldergrove Sunday morning, Jan, 23, to show support for a convoy of truckers protesting a vaccine mandate.
They waved flags and carried signs and banners with messages that included 鈥渢hank you truckers,鈥 鈥渆nd vaccine tyranny,鈥 鈥渆nd all mandates,鈥 and 鈥渉onk for the convoy for freedom.鈥
As the truck passed by, some chanted 鈥渇reedom.鈥
One of the demonstrators, Frank from Maple Ridge (who declined to give his last name), said he was there 鈥渏ust to make a stand for freedom of choice.鈥
Stephanie Rempel, from Langley鈥檚 Brookswood neighbourhood, attended with her parents, Henry and Linda, who had signs that said 鈥渇reedom鈥 and 鈥渨e will not comply.鈥
Stephanie told the Langley Advance Times she attended because she wants 鈥渢o end these mandates, all this COVID crap. I want all this to stop.鈥
Henry agreed, saying 鈥渋t鈥檚 just insane.鈥
Linda said she was 鈥渏ust tired鈥 of it all.
Abbotsford resident Nick Shelton, who described himself as 鈥渧ax-free鈥 and attended with his daughter Dakota, said the issue for him was one of personal choice.
鈥淣o medical treatment can be mandated on anybody,鈥 he declared.
鈥淧eople have got freedom of choice.鈥
READ ALSO:
All truckers who cross the border from Canada into the U.S. must be vaccinated to avoid a 14-day quarantine under a new policy passed Jan. 15.
Up to 26,000 of the 160,000 drivers who make regular trips across the Canada-U.S. border would likely be sidelined as a result of the vaccine mandate in both countries, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the American Trucking Associations.
Some of those truckers have organized a 鈥淔reedom Convoy鈥 that left from Vancouver for Ottawa on Sunday. Another convoy is set to leave from Enfield, Nova Scotia on Jan. 27.
Organizers have called for truckers from across Canada to join.
READ MORE:
More photos from the 264th St. demonstration can be viewed online at the .
Have a story tip? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
Like us on and follow us on .