Ottawa [Canada], February 12 (ANI/Sputnik): The trucker blockade of Ambassador Bridge, a key trade border crossing between Canada and the United States, comes at a cost of some $100 million in auto parts trade every day, attorneys representing the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association said in a court document. “It is estimated that approximately USD 100 million dollars worth of parts cross the border every day between the United States and Canada,” the attorneys said on Friday. Overall, the blockade at the bridge is estimated to cost $50 billion dollars worth of trade per day, the attorneys said. Moreover, the attorneys said several Canadian companies have already shut down and others have laid off workers temporarily.

Earlier on Friday, a Canadian judge ordered the removal of anti-vaccine mandate protesters at the bridge. In mid-January, a mass peaceful protest began in Canada consisting of truckers, farmers and other Canadians. The protesters descended on the capital Ottawa to demand the government scrap discriminatory COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The protest has since spread and truckers also blocked several US-Canada border crossings, including Ambassador Bridge, which connecting Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario.

Protesters continue blocking Canada-US border bridge as injunction enters into force

Winsdor [Canada], February 12 (ANI/Sputnik): Anti-covid mandate protesters continue to block Ambassador Bridge, a key trade crossing on the US-Canada border, after a court-ordered injunction took effect in the evening, a Sputnik correspondent reported. One police officer told Sputnik that authorities are a ways from clearing the blockade.

Earlier in the day, a Canadian judge ordered authorities to clear the blockade starting at 7:00 p.m. EST (midnight GMT) on Friday.

Several hundred protesters are gathered on the road leading up to the international bridge, waving the Canadian flag and listening to music, according to a Sputnik correspondent. Some protesters have signs on their vehicles that read “F*** Trudeau” and “What’s More Trustworthy: Trudeau government [or] Sushi from from a gas station.”

In mid-January, a mass peaceful protest began in Canada consisting of truckers, farmers and other Canadians. The protesters descended on the capital Ottawa to demand the government scrap discriminatory COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The protest has since spread and truckers also blocked several US-Canada border crossings, including Ambassador Bridge, which connecting Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario. (ANI/Sputnik)

Canadian Police starts clearing protesters blocking Ambassador Bridge to US

Windsor [Canada], February 12 (ANI): Canadian Police has begun an attempt to clear protesters Saturday morning (local time) from the Ambassador Bridge across from Detroit, intending to end a six-day blockade of North America’s busiest international crossing by demonstrators decrying COVID-19 measures, reported CNN.

Police officers approached protesters at the foot of the bridge on the Canadian side — in the city of Windsor — after 8 am ET. There were some early signs some protesters were moving away on their own, dismantling a makeshift tent area where they received food and shelter, said the US-based publication.

Earlier, a Canadian judge ordered authorities to clear the blockade starting at 7:00 p.m. EST (midnight GMT) on Friday.

Several hundred protesters are gathering on the road leading up to the international bridge, waving the Canadian flag and listening to music, according to a Sputnik correspondent.

Some protesters have signs on their vehicles that read “What’s More Trustworthy: Trudeau government [or] Sushi from a gas station.” In mid-January, a mass peaceful protest began in Canada consisting of truckers, farmers and other Canadians.

The protesters descended on the capital Ottawa to demand the government scrap discriminatory COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The protest has since spread and truckers also blocked several US-Canada border crossings, including Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario. (ANI)

Trudeau briefs Opposition on Trucker protests, call for end of ‘illegal acts’

Ottawa [Canada], February 11 (ANI): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday called for an end to blockades caused by the “Freedom Convoy 2022” protest as he briefed the leaders of the opposition parties on the current situation prevailing in the country.

The protests began at the end of January as a rally of truckers against the vaccine mandate for Canadian truck drivers crossing the border into the United States.

“Finally, I briefed the leaders of the opposition parties on the current situation and the latest developments. I stressed how important it is for all Members of Parliament, from every party, to denounce these illegal acts – and to call for an end to these blockades,” Trudeau tweeted.
Trudeau said that he convened an Incident Response Group meeting with ministers to end these blockades.

“First, I convened an Incident Response Group meeting with ministers and officials. We’ll continue to work closely with municipal and provincial governments to end these blockades, and to make sure they have the resources they need,” he said.

The Canadian Prime Minister also informed that he held talks with the Mayor of Windsor, about the illegal blockade of the Ambassador Bridge, which poses a challenge to the economies of both Canada and the United States.

Convoy protesters have blocked off the entrance to the Ambassador Bridge, which is a critical trade route for goods going into and out of the United States. “I also spoke with @DrewDilkens, the Mayor of Windsor, about the illegal blockade of the Ambassador Bridge. We’re committed to helping the Mayor and the province get the situation under control – because it is causing real harm to workers and economies on both sides of the border,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Ottawa Police Service said Thursday that police have arrested 25 people and issued 1,775 tickets to put an end to the unlawful demonstrations in the downtown areas. Ottawa police said in a statement that police have responded to nearly 1,000 calls for service in relation to the demonstrations since they began and continue to prevent people from supplying fuel and other material supports to demonstrators. (ANI)