Trucks and supporters block the entrance leading from the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit, Mich. And Ontario as it continues to protest against COVID-19 vaccine regulations and restrictions on Friday.
Nathan Denette / Canadian Press / via AP
hide captions
switch captions
Nathan Denette / Canadian Press / via AP
Trucks and supporters block the entrance leading from the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit, Mich. And Ontario as it continues to protest against COVID-19 vaccine regulations and restrictions on Friday.
Nathan Denette / Canadian Press / via AP
WINDSOR, Ontario – A judge on Friday ordered protesters at the Ambassador Bridge across the US-Canada border to end a five-day blockade that has interrupt the flow of goods between the two countries and forced the auto industries of both sides to return to production.
It was not immediately clear when or if law enforcement officers would be dispatched to remove the protesters, who had parked their pickup trucks and other vehicles during a demonstration against the protesters. the country’s COVID-19 restrictions and anger toward Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government.
Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz of the Ontario Superior Court said during a virtual hearing that the order would go into effect at 7 p.m. to give protesters time to leave.
Windsor Police immediately warned that protesters blocking the road could be arrested and their vehicles confiscated.
The decision came after a 4 1/2 hour trial, in which the city of Windsor and lawyers for the auto parts manufacturers argued that the lockdown was causing undue economic damage. for the city and region.
Supporters of the protesters, some of them truckers, argue that the order would break their right to peacefully protest vaccine mandates that impede their ability to earn a living.
As of Monday, drivers of mostly pickup trucks have closed the bridge connecting Windsor with Detroit. Hundreds of trucks have paralyzed downtown Ottawa over the past two weeks.
The verdict came in a day of rapid action as federal, provincial and local officials moved simultaneously on different fronts to try to break the so-called Freedom Convoy’s deadlock.
“This illegal activity must end and it will end,” Mr. Trudeau warned just hours earlier.
“We’ve heard you. It’s time to go home,” the prime minister said, warning that “everything is ready” to end the blockades.
The Prime Minister of Ontario orders a state of emergency
Also on Friday, Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, declared a state of emergency and threatened heavy fines for those who obstruct the free flow of goods and people.
Ford said he will convene the provincial cabinet on Saturday to urgently enact measures to make the blockade of critical infrastructure illegal. Violators will face one year in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000, he said.
“There will be consequences for these actions and they will be very serious,” Ford said. “This is a pivotal, pivotal moment for our nation.”
The measures will also provide additional authority “to consider stripping away the personal and commercial licenses of anyone who fails to comply”, according to the prime minister’s office.
Trudeau called Ontario’s decision “responsible and necessary” and said he spoke with US President Joe Biden about it.
“We discussed the American and truly global influences on the protest,” Trudeau said. “We talked about the fact that 911 phone lines in Ottawa are based in the US, the presence of US citizens in the blockade and the impact of foreign money funding this illegal activity. .”
Trudeau says that on some fundraising platforms, up to 50% of donations come from the US
He said that he and Biden had agreed that “for the security of the people and the economy, these blockades cannot continue. So make no mistake: The border cannot and will not close.”
Trudeau said he understands protesters are frustrated by the pandemic, but “these blockades are hurting everyday families, car assembly workers, farmers, truck drivers, Canadians. alcohol neck”.
Lockdown causes shortages for four automakers
The protests have caused auto parts shortages that have prompted General Motors, Ford, Toyota and Honda to close factories or cancel shifts.
Before the judge’s ruling was delivered, dozens of protesters in Windsor blocked the entrance to the bridge in what felt like a block party. Protesters walked around, carrying signs and Canadian flags – some at the ends of hockey sticks – while music played and food served. A trampoline was set up for the children.
Troy Holman, 32, of Windsor, who has protested daily this week, said he believes the government has over-abused COVID-19 restrictions, which he says has damaged businesses. his wife’s small business.
“Unfortunately, we have to be here, because this is what will attract the government’s attention,” he said.
Signs read “Freedom Is Necessary”, “Say No to Mandatory Vaccines” and “Terminate Duty”.
Protester Karen Driedger, 40, of Leamington, said: “We support freedom. We believe it should be an individual decision. “We are saying, ‘Enough is enough. I need to get back to normal and live our lives again. “
Authorities at all levels of government have hesitated to forc and fear of violence. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens warned earlier this week that some truckers were “ready to die”.
Political pressure increases as economic fees increase
But political pressure to reopen the bridge appears to be growing along with the economic damage.
Ambassador Bridge is the busiest US-Canada border route, playing an important role in goods trade between the two countries. The standoff comes at a time when the auto industry is struggling to maintain production in the face of pandemic-induced computer chip shortages and other supply chain disruptions.
“American lawmakers are worried and rightfully so,” said Nelson Wiseman, professor of political science at the University of Toronto. “The White House is now putting pressure on Trudeau to act more decisively.”
In addition to maintaining a bumper occupation of Ottawa, protesters closed three border crossings: at Windsor; in Coutts, Alberta, across from Montana; and at Emerson, Manitoba, across from North Dakota.
The Freedom convoy has been cheered and promoted by many Fox News figures, and has drawn right-wing support from the likes of former President Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
Amid signs that authorities may be preparing for trouble, police in Windsor and Ottawa have been waiting for reinforcements from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The mayor of Ottawa has requested an additional 1,800 police officers, a number that could nearly double the existing manpower for the capital’s police force.
People wave to a convoy departing for Paris on Friday in Strasbourg. Authorities in France and Belgium have banned the blockade of roads threatened by groups inspired by the Canadian protesters.
Jean-Francois Badias / AP
hide captions
switch captions
Jean-Francois Badias / AP
People wave to a convoy departing for Paris on Friday in Strasbourg. Authorities in France and Belgium have banned the blockade of roads threatened by groups inspired by the Canadian protesters.
Jean-Francois Badias / AP
Protests spread beyond Canada
The protests have spread beyond Canada also. Protesters angered by the pandemic’s restrictions drove back to Paris in scattered convoys of goods, cars and trucks on Friday in an effort to blockade the French capital, defying a government ban. cop.
And in a bulletin to state and local law enforcement officials, the US Department of Homeland Security warned that truck protests may be taking place in the United States. The agency said protests could begin in Southern California as early as this weekend and spread to Washington around the State’s address by March.
While Canadian protesters are decrying trucker vaccine regulations and other COVID-19 restrictions, many of the country’s infection measures, such as mask-wearing and protective vaccines to enter restaurants and theatres, were no longer available when omicron levels spiked.
Pandemic restrictions in Canada are much stricter than in the US, but most Canadians have supported them. The vast majority of Canadians are immunized, and the death rate from COVID-19 is one-third that of the United States.
