Five arrests were made and 43 tickets issued during what was billed as a Maskless Monday protest at a Kamloops-area Superstore.

A group called Take Action Kamloops holds weekly protests at the grocery store, and Mounties went there Jan. 10 with what they say was “the intent of using an educational approach to convince attendees to follow public health orders or depart the premise.”

That tack didn’t work, RCMP said in a press release, so instead they issued 43 tickets under the Emergency Programs Act, with a $230 penalty apiece.

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Five people were also arrested after they allegedly failed to identify themselves or leave, while another 18 people were escorted out of the store without issue.

“We’ve always promoted an education first approach and that will continue,” Kamloops RCMP Supt. Sydney Lecky said in a press release.

“In the past, some of these protestors were reportedly intimidating employees and customers, approaching people in the store and telling them to take off their mask. We’ll do what we have to do, but we’ve always tried to show a measured approach.”

Those arrested were later released, pending the investigation’s conclusion.

The group seems largely undeterred by the arrests and fines, posting to its Facebook group enthusiasm about the turnout and plans to do it again.

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