Protests demanding an end to COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates in Canada have now halted production at some car plants as two Canada-U.S. border crossings remain blocked, severely hampering trade, while a core group of “Freedom Convoy” protesters carries on its efforts in the Ottawa downtown core.
The protest and blockade of the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., which connects Canada and the U.S. via Detroit, has continued since it started on Monday, prompting Windsor city officials and local police to request provincial and federal assistance.
The Ambassador Bridge usually handles 8,000 trucks a day, about 25 per cent of all cross-border trade, or about US$500 million per day.
Due to parts shortages caused by the border blockade, General Motors cancelled two shifts Thursday at a Lansing, Mich. plant due to the protest on the bridge.
Ford said late Wednesday that it was forced to shut down its engine plant in Windsor and to run an assembly plant in Oakville, Ont., on a reduced schedule.
- Read more: Border protests snarl Canada-U.S. trade
A spokesperson for Toyota also said the company will not be able to manufacture anything at three Canadian plants for the rest of this week due to parts shortages, although Toyota’s statement attributed the problem to supply chain, weather and pandemic-related challenges.
U.S. officials have rerouted some commercial traffic to the Bluewater Bridge that connects Canada to the U.S. via Port Huron, Mich., to alleviate some of the pressure at the Ambassador Bridge.
At the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., the RCMP moved in on Wednesday and were met with angry protesters who chanted “hell no, we won’t go” as the officers attempted to move them away from the border crossing.
Officers working to dismantle a second Alberta blockade approximately 15 kilometres north of Coutts at Milk River started issuing tickets and asked protesters to move to an area off the highway, citing safety concerns.
- Recap: Day 13 of the trucker protest
On Wednesday federal officials called on protesters to recognize the toll their disruptions were taking on Canadians.
“I want to be clear, those participating in the convoy are hurting Canadians. They pose serious dangers for the economy, and they are breaking the law, and no one is above the law,” said Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.
On Wednesday, Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed proposed to expand the House public safety and national security committee’s study of the convoy’s fundraising to include a study on the rise of ideologically-motivated extremism.
If passed, it would see an investigation into the influence of foreign and domestic actors funding and supporting violent, extremist ideologies in Canada.
- Read more: Liberals propose probe into study on extremism, convoy funding
OTTAWA AWAITS ADDITIONAL POLICE RESOURCES
With hundreds of protesters and vehicles still in the downtown core, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said Wednesday that he is confident that the additional police resources the city and Ottawa Police Services Chief Peter Sloly have been requesting will be on the ground in the capital city by the weekend.
"I have every confidence that we’ll see additional officers here for the weekend, which tend to be the more challenging times with respect to behaviour down in the red zone," Watson said, adding that officers may have to travel to Ottawa.
Ottawa Police struck a stern tone in a message issued to protesters Wednesday that said the force is “providing you notice that anyone blocking streets or assisting others in the block of streets may be committing a criminal offence," the statement said.
"You must immediately cease further unlawful activity or you may face charges. You could be arrested without a warrant for this offence if you are a party to the offence or assisting others in the direct or indirect commission in this offence," the statement said.
Some of the protesters moved towards Ottawa Airport on Thursday morning, with about 30 pickup trucks driving slowly around the loop at the airport and honking their horns.
—–
RELATED IMAGESview larger image
People hold hands in front of Parliament Hill as a rally against COVID-19 restrictions, which began as a cross-country convoy proxjmtzywtesting a federal vaccine mandate for truckers, continues in Ottawa, on Wednesday, February 9, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle)
