Canadian police have moved in to remove protesters at the busiest border crossing with the United States.
Activists at Ambassador Bridge are demonstrating against Canada’s Covid-19 mandates and restrictions.
There is also an outpouring of fury towards the country’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau over his approach to the pandemic.
About 20 protesters milled about outside earlier today, while others remained in their pickup trucks and other cars.
Yesterday a judge ordered protesters at Ambassador Bridge – between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan – to end the blockade, which has now entered a sixth day.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency in the province, which will allow his cabinet to impose 100,000-dollar fines and up to one year jail sentences against those who continue blocking roads, bridges, walkways and other critical infrastructure.
Chief justice Geoffrey Morawetz, of the Ontario superior court, issued an injunction giving protesters until 7pm on Friday to clear out. However the deadline came and went and the blockade was still in place.
Windsor police immediately warned that anyone blocking the streets could be subject to arrest and their vehicles could be seized.
Since Monday, drivers mostly in pickup trucks have bottled up the bridge connecting Windsor to Detroit, which accounts for roughly 25% of trade between the US and Canada.
Hundreds more truckers have paralysed downtown Ottawa over the past two weeks.
There was a party atmosphere there last night and protesters even set up a concert stage. Truckers have also blocked two other border crossings, in Alberta and Manitoba.
Trudeau said he understands the protesters are frustrated by the pandemic, but ‘these blockades are hurting everyday families, auto assembly workers, farmers, truckers, blue-collar Canadians’.
The protests have caused shortages of car parts that have forced General Motors, Ford, Toyota and Honda to close plants or cancel shifts.
Protesters at the border are decrying vaccine mandates for truckers and other Covid-19 restrictions.
Many of Canada’s infection measures, such as mask rules and vaccine passports for getting into restaurants and theatres, are already falling away as the Omicron surge levels off.
Pandemic restrictions have been far stricter in Canada than in the US, but Canadians have largely supported them.
The vast majority of Canadians are vaccinated, and the Covid-19 death rate is a third of the total in the United States.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Source: Read Full Article
