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“It’s not an act of defiance, it’s to send a message that enough is enough,” said Miller.

The protest began in British Columbia last week and has spread across the country following the announcement of a pay package that RCMP members complain isn’t competitive with other large police forces. They are also concerned with staffing levels and working conditions.

The pay package included retroactive salary increases of 1.25 per cent in both 2015 and 2016, along with a 2.3 per cent market adjustment effective as of April 1, 2016. The government said the pay increase brings the total compensation for RCMP officers, including pension and benefits, in line with the eight police departments covering 90 per cent of the country’s population.

In a statement released Wednesday, RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson said no one had been disciplined for the protest, but worried about the impact it will have on the public they serve.

“Public trust and confidence in the RCMP are crucial to our mission. It is important that we all pause for a minute and reflect on how our actions during these times may impact that vital relationship and how these actions are being seen by the communities and citizens we serve,” Paulson wrote.

Paulson said while the new pay package may be “maddening” to some members, it wasn’t going to get any better.

“It does not get us to parity with the top paid police forces in the country but I tell you all solemnly: we went to bat and our Minister went to bat, and there was no better package to be had at this time,” wrote Paulson.