Video: Arrests made as police clear trucker protest at Canada-US bridge now set to reopen An armored vehicle slowly follows law enforcement officers as they walk a line through the Ambassador Bridge protesters unhappy over Canada’s COVID-19 mandates, in Windsor, Ontario, on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (Daniel Mears/The Detroit News/TNS)
The Ambassador Bridge is set to reopen, bringing Canada’s “national economic crisis” to an end, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said Sunday, after police cleared protesters and made some arrests.
“Border crossings will reopen when it is safe to do so and I defer to police and border agencies to make that determination,” Dilkens tweeted about 11 a.m. Sunday.
On Sunday, police at the demonstration site near the Ambassador Bridge engaged protesters for continued enforcement and multiple arrests were made, Windsor Police Service said.
“The arrested persons are all facing a charge of mischief. Multiple vehicles within the demonstration area were also seized,” police stated. “You will see a continued police presence in the area in order to maintain an environment that is safe. In an effort to work towards resuming traffic flow, a continuous assessment of the situation is vital to ensure a sustainable solution.”
Before noon, chants of “freedom!” could be heard as demonstrators were cleared out of all areas near the bridge.
The Windsor Police Department announced Sunday morning it was stepping up enforcement of a court injunction against the Ambassador Bridge protests.
“Enforcement will continue in the demonstration area and there will be zero tolerance for illegal activity. The public should avoid the area,” Windsor police tweeted just before 9 a.m. Sunday.
Canadian police are blocking all streets within view of the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor.
At about 10:15 a.m. demonstrators and media were ordered to leave the Windsor strip mall at the south side of the Ambassador Bridge or be removed for trespassing. Business owners were asking people to remove their vehicles from the private property.
Police are blocking all streets within view of the bridge and limiting media to a sidewalk beside a gas station. About 40 demonstrators were there. Some had wrapped themselves in Canadian flags and held signs that read “No Vax Mandates” and “(explicit) Trudeau.”
Tom Lyons, a retired Windsor firefighter, is among the supporters. Lyons said while he supports the vaccines, he also supports the truckers who are against the mandates.
“I believe that 90% of truckers are vaccinated but they don’t like the idea of the mandates and digital tracking,” said Lyons, 70. “Crazy thing is the truckers drive alone all the time. The old one-size-fits-all doesn’t fit all the time. The protest is just starting to impact trade with the automotive industry and Windsor feeder plants have had to send people home. A good majority of people I talk to support this.”
Earlier, at about 8:15 a.m., Windsor police had tweeted that it was making arrests and towing cars.
Vehicles blocking the bridge were also removed Saturday and police warned that protesters who remained at or near the bridge would face arrest if they did not leave.
At 5:30 p.m. Saturday, nine hours after Canadian police began enforcing the injunction, the two sides seemed to reach a stalemate that continued deep into the evening.
On Sunday, police at the demonstration site engaged protesters for continued enforcement and multiple arrests were made, Windsor Police Service said.
“The arrested persons are all facing a charge of mischief. Multiple vehicles within the demonstration area were also seized,” police stated. “You will see a continued police presence in the area in order to maintain an environment that is safe. In an effort to work towards resuming traffic flow, a continuous assessment of the situation is vital to ensure a sustainable solution.”
Late Saturday, Windsor police tweeted that it had arrested a 27-year-old male for “a criminal offense in relation to the demonstration. Officers will intervene when necessary to ensure the safety of the public & maintain peace & order.”
An Ontario judge granted an injunction Friday against protesters but crowds remained defiant over the weekend despite it.
The protesters are in opposition to a vaccine requirement for truckers entering the country. The United States also has a vaccine requirement for freight truckers delivering goods across the border.
Ontario officials say they will fine protesters blocking the bridge up to $100,000 and sentence them to up to a year in jail. They also will consider taking away the personal or commercial driver’s licenses of anyone who defies the orders.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had warned that “everything is on the table” to dissolve the blockade and restart traffic across the vital North American shipping route.
The Ambassador Bridge has been blocked to traffic since Monday evening, when a protest at the Capitol in Ottawa moved to other cities across the country and the trade thoroughfare connecting Canada to Detroit.
Officials have continued to reroute commercial traffic to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, where they say nine commercial lanes are open, and to the Windsor tunnel for smaller passenger traffic.
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