Police said that those arrested would be charged with mischief
Canadian police arrived and arrested the protesters against the Covid-19 vaccine mandates who were blocking access to the Ambassador Bridge between Canada and the U.S.
According to Windsor police, several arrests were made Sunday morning and all those who were taken into custody face mischief charges. Constable Talya Nayshak did not give an exact number but stated that most of the at-least 12 arrests made so far were made Sunday. She also said that at least five vehicles had been seized.
Windsor police stated in a Twitter that “Enforcement actions continue in the demonstration area with arrests being taken.” The public is advised to avoid the area.
Television images Sunday morning showed officers arresting protesters near the Ambassador Bridge linking Detroit to Windsor, the busiest border crossing into the U.S. — The Associated Press reported.
According to the AP, only two pickup trucks and fewer then a dozen protesters blocked roads to bridge before police arrived. The bridge was opened later, but police barricades were still in place.
On Sunday afternoon, protestors remained in Windsor. Officials had not yet announced when the bridge would reopen.
Drew Dilkens, Windsor Mayor, stated in a statement Sunday that “Today, the national economic crisis at Ambassador bridge was over.” He stated that the decision on when the bridge would reopen is up to police and border officers.
After Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz, Ontario Superior Court, ordered them to leave at a hearing on Friday, police officers dispersed protesters and began to remove them from the streets Saturday.
Windsor and the lawyers representing auto parts manufacturers successfully argued that the blockade caused undue economic damage to the city and region by disrupting traffic flow and forcing both the auto and auto industries to halt production.
The closing of the bridge has had an impact on an estimated $392.56million per day in cross border transactions.
The ramps to bridge were closed on Sunday morning, Michigan State Police tweet. According to it, trucks could cross the border at the Blue Water Bridge (about 60 miles north) and cars could use tunnels.
The Windsor demonstration is just one of many that are tied to the truckers’ Freedom Convoy, which began against mandatory vaccination for truckers crossing the U.S.–Canada border. It has since evolved to opposition to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his pandemic restrictions.
This protest is now in its third weekend in Ottawa, Canada. Hundreds of protesters are using their trucks to block roads, blare their horns, and disrupt traffic.
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp, protestors also closed smaller border crossings in Surrey (British Columbia), Emerson (Manitoba), and Coutts (Alberta) on Saturday.
Doug Ford , Ontario Premier, declared a state-of-emergency Friday. He said he would use all resources of government to end the protest that had been going on for two weeks. He claimed that the protests were a “siege”, affecting downtown Ottawa and the Ambassador Bridge.
Protests have also reverberated beyond the country, inspiring similar convoys to Europe as well as New Zealand.
Protests in Canada have provoked a backlash in Ottawa as well as across the country due to allegations of harassment and the presence flags bearing Confederate flags.
An Ipsos poll found that the majority of Canadians are opposed to truckers’ actions.
