After serving a four-year prison sentence, one of the individuals convicted of causing trouble and violating firearm laws in connection with the 2022 Coutts, Alberta, border protest is now being released from incarceration.
Anthony Olienick was given a sentence in September 2024 for his involvement in the demonstration that obstructed traffic at the Canada-U.S. border crossing for around two weeks in 2022. He was convicted alongside another individual, Chris Carbert, after authorities discovered them in possession of firearms, ammunition, and protective gear hidden inside trailers placed at the protest site.
Throughout the trial, both men claimed they were standing up against potential tyranny and injustice. They were both given sentences of 6½ years each. Despite being acquitted of the charge of conspiring to harm RCMP officers, they both filed appeals against their sentences in September, with no verdict yet from the Alberta Court of Appeal.
Olienick specifically challenged his convictions for possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and having a pipe bomb. However, his lawyer, Brendan Miller, confirmed some positive developments for his client on Monday, stating that Olienick’s conviction appeal has been presented and is awaiting judgment. In the interim, Olienick has been released until a decision is reached on his conviction appeal.
Although Olienick was denied full and day parole earlier in the month, he will be eligible for statutory release in June. Carbert, on the other hand, was granted bail while awaiting the outcome of his appeals in June last year. Olienick had been in custody since his arrest in February 2022.
The Coutts blockade was part of a series of protests held across the nation in opposition to COVID-19 regulations and vaccine mandates.