Participants in the “Freedom Convoy” idled trucks and vehicles along roadways in major Canadian cities over the weekend, and ongoing efforts to do so in places such as Ottawa have led to increased outcry from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, local officials and residents alike.
The demonstrations began as an objection to a vaccine mandate requiring truckers entering Canada to either be fully vaccinated or face testing and quarantine requirements. Other protesters then joined to rail against mask mandates, lockdowns, restrictions on gatherings and other Covid-19 preventative efforts.
The Ambassador Bridge, which spans the Canadian-US border, connecting Windsor and Detroit is the latest location of an ongoing blockade as authorities urged travelers Monday to reroute to other motorways.
Police are working to restore the orderly flow of traffic due to interruptions at the exit from the Ambassador Bridge onto Huron Church Road, Windsor Police said Monday.
“Avoid the area or find alternate route, if possible,” police said, calling traffic flow “temporarily interrupted.”
“Our officers continue to work hard to keep the flow of traffic moving along Huron Church Rd., as well as ensuring order and public safety. … We encourage everyone to be patient and respectful,” Windsor Police said on Twitter.
Earlier Monday, Windsor Police posted a photo online showing a long line of trucks appearing to be at a standstill. They also warned of travel delays and a high potential for traffic congestion, and asked “those involved not to endanger members of the public.”
Access to the bridge from the US side of the border was closed, the Michigan Department of Transportation said Monday night.
“The freeway traffic trying to get across the bridge is backed up on multiple roadways and for miles,” MDOT Metro Region spokeswoman Diane Cross told CNN.
More than 40,000 commuters, tourists and truck drivers cross the Ambassador Bridge each day, according to its website.
Similar acts have been ongoing in the capital city of Ottawa since January 29, with some protesters telling CNN they will not leave until certain Covid-19 measures are rescinded.
According to the Canadian government, nearly 90% of Canada’s truckers are fully vaccinated and eligible to cross the border. Trudeau said the protesting truckers represent a “small, fringe minority” and his government did not expect the vaccine mandate to significantly affect supply chains.
Overall, just over 80% of Canadians are vaccinated, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
‘We need more help,’ Ottawa mayor says
Ottawa’s police chief said the city needs assistance as drivers continue to blare horns and idle trucks on downtown streets.
“We have been 100 percent full out on this for the last 10 days straight and we will not rest until it’s done, but we need more help,” Chief Peter Sloly said Monday, adding that his department asked the mayor’s office for a “significant increase” in resources to end the demonstrations.
“No officers are on days off, everyone has been working,” he said. “We are stretched to the limit, but we are 100 percent committed to using everything we have to end this demonstration. We cannot do it alone. That’s why I have been advocating for all three levels of government to bring whatever they can bring to bear on the permanent, sustainable, lawful safe resolution of this demonstration.”
More than 60 criminal investigations are underway in the city, Ottawa police said Sunday, as claims of hate crimes, rock-throwing, and property damage are being reported. At least 450 citations were issued over the weekend, police said.
Mayor Jim Watson has declared a state of emergency in response to the protests and a majority of businesses in downtown Ottawa have either closed or reduced their hours in response to the unrest.
Many in the city are at their “breaking point,” Sloly said.
“This is crushing for those residents and their businesses. It has to stop, and we are doing everything we can possibly do to stop it,” Sloly said. “We need more help, we’re asking for that help and we’re starting to receive that help, but we need more to get this done.”
PM Trudeau calls for an end to blockades
With protesters parked in trucks right outside the building, Trudeau called for an end to the demonstration during an emergency parliamentary debate in Ottawa Monday evening.
“Individuals are trying to blockade our economy, our democracy and our fellow citizens’ daily lives. It has to stop,” he said in his first public appearance since isolating for Covid-19 after he and some members of his family contracted the virus.
Trudeau acknowledged that protesters had a right to voice their concerns but said residents did not deserve to be harassed in their own neighborhoods.
“This pandemic has sucked for all Canadians, but Canadians know the way to get through it is continuing to listen to science, continuing to lean on each other, continuing to be there for each other,” Trudeau said after underscoring that Canadians are tired of Covid-19 health restrictions.
Conservative opposition leader Candice Bergen accused the prime minister of dividing Canadians and asked if Trudeau regretted calling the protesters “names,” regarding his earlier “small, fringe minority” comments.
“Does he regret calling people names who didn’t take the vaccine? Does he regret calling people misogynistic and racists and just escalating and poking sticks at them,” Bergen asked in parliament.
Trudeau responded by saying most Canadians trust each other to do the right things when it comes to following science.
“This is the story of a country that got through this pandemic by being united, and a few people shouting and waving swastikas does not define who Canadians are,” he said.
