WINDSOR, Ont.—Police are moving in to clear the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge border crossing in Windsor, Ont., on Feb. 12.
“The Windsor Police & its policing partners have commenced enforcement at and near the Ambassador Bridge. We urge all demonstrators to act lawfully & peacefully,” Windsor Police said in a tweet on the morning of Feb. 12. “Commuters are still being asked to avoid the areas affected by the demonstrations at this time.”
On Feb. 11, the Ontario Superior Court granted an injunction to prevent the protesters from blocking the border crossing. The injunction came into effect at 7 p.m. on Feb. 11, but more protesters came to the site on the evening of Feb. 11.
The Windsor Police & its policing partners have commenced enforcement at and near the Ambassador Bridge. We urge all demonstrators to act lawfully & peacefully. Commuters are still being asked to avoid the areas affected by the demonstrations at this time.
— Windsor Police (@WindsorPolice) February 12, 2022
On Feb. 12, about a dozen vehicles remain on the site, blocking the border crossing, which accounts for hundreds of millions of dollars of trade between Canada and the United States each day. Most of the big trucks are gone.
Police presence has increased at the site, while the number of protesters has gone down compared to the night before. Some protesters insist they will remain at the site until COVID-19 mandates are lifted.
Police aren’t letting people get near the site of the protest, and some vehicles can be seen leaving the area.
Protesters have been blocking the international border crossing since Feb. 6, demanding an end to COVID-19 mandates.
The protest is one of several inspired by the truckers’ protests that started against the federal government’s requirement that all truck drivers crossing the Canada-U.S. border need to have COVID-19 vaccination.
Protesters remain in Ottawa, as well as other sites including Canada-U.S. border crossings in Alberta and Manitoba.
On Feb. 11, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that the province will be in a state of emergency due to the ongoing protests in Windsor and Ottawa.
The declaration includes giving authorities more powers to deal with any blockages in 400-series highways, airports, ports, bridges, and railways, Ford said.
Fines for non-compliance will be up to $100,000 and up to a year imprisonment, Ford said, adding that the provincial government will also provide additional authority for the police to take away the personal and commercial licenses of anyone who doesn’t comply with these orders.
More to come
Reuters contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times
