Marco Van Huigenbos, now facing up to 10 years in prison after being convicted of mischief over $5,000 along with two others in the Coutts blockade, fires back at Alberta Premier Danielle Smith for her 'deflecting' comments about the verdict.
"I will take the accountability -- I will wear it with my head held high,"
says Huigenbos, who is facing up to 10 years in prison for mischief related to his involvement in the anti-COVID mandates protest at the Canada-U.S. border town of Coutts, Alberta in February, 2022.
"But where is the accountability for those who force us to go to that border?"
Asks the former Fort Macleod city councilor, in reference to the provincial and federal governments' pandemic-related mandates that sparked significant uproar over civil liberties and freedoms.
Huigenbos aimed his criticisms towards Alberta's premiere Danielle Smith after her comments on his conviction.
"She ran on the Anti-COVID support, the anti-Kenny support, the anti-government tyranny support, and to now have her weakened -- I believe it is a strategic decision. It's not a failure of the individual. This is a strategic decision by Danielle Smith to compromise, and that I can't support."
Huigenbos along with 2 others are now awaiting sentencing where they could face up to 10 years in jail.
Meanwhile, the group known as the 'Coutts 4,' who were arrested at the protest site and charged with conspiracy to murder RCMP officers, have been held in remand without bail for over two years. Two of the men were released in early February in a plea deal, where they pleaded guilty to lesser charges and saw the conspiracy to murder RCMP charge dropped, prompting advocates who believe their prosecution to be politically motived to question whether the RCMP had a solid case against the men at all.
Another Canadian trucker from the Coutts protest was recently sentenced to 10 months in prison but was released after almost 1.5 months as he appeals the guilty verdict.