KEY U.S.-CANADA BRIDGE REOPENS AFTER LAST PROTESTERS REMOVED

Mon 14 February 2022:

On Sunday, Canadian police arrested many demonstrators as they cleared protesters and vehicles that had blocked a crucial commerce route on the US-Canada border. However, by the time this report was published on Sunday, the bridge had not been reopened to traffic.

Since Friday, police and protesters have been locked in a tense standoff. The six-day barricade of the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, was not lifted despite a court order and threats of arrest.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Windsor Police stated they had detained numerous people on a charge of mischief, but did not specify how many. According to the statement, police also took vehicles from the demonstration area.

On Sunday, police deployed more than 50 vehicles in the area, including cruisers, buses, and an armoured car, but the number of demonstrators reduced to around 45 from around 100 the day before.

Protesters in trucks, automobiles, and vans have been blocking traffic in both directions at the bridge for the past week, effectively shutting down the flow of goods on a corridor that carries 25% of all trade between the two countries.

On Saturday, demonstrators were convinced to move the trucks that had been blocking the crossing.

According to The Associated Press, only two pick-up trucks and a few dozen demonstrators blocked the road leading to the bridge when police arrived.

Enforcement will continue in the demonstration area and there will be zero tolerance for illegal activity. The public should avoid the area.

— Windsor Police (@WindsorPolice) February 13, 2022

“We are protesting the government taking away our rights,” said Windsor resident Eunice Lucas-Logan. “We want the restrictions removed. We have to wait to find out.”

The 67-year-old has been out supporting the protest for the past four days. She said she appreciated that police have been patient.

While the demonstrators are furious about trucker vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions, many of Canada’s public health measures, such as mask rules and vaccine passports for entering restaurants and theaters, are already being phased out as the Omicron outbreak subsides.

The vast majority of Canadians are vaccinated, and the COVID-19 fatality rate in Canada is one-third that of the US.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent