A vital US-Canadian border crossing reopens after trucker blockade of Ambassador Bridge is cleared [View all]

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Source: CNN

(CNN) North America's busiest land border crossing has reopened after a nearly weeklong blockade of the Ambassador Bridge by protesters decrying Covid-19 mandates, the company that owns the bridge says. he standoff at the bridge, which links Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, had paralyzed traffic between the US and Canada and crippled a key trade route for both countries. The reopening of the bridge allows "the free flow of commerce between the Canada and US economies once again," the Detroit International Bridge Company said in a statement Sunday night.

"This action follows a state of emergency declared in Ontario and an injunction granted by an Ontario judge which took effect Friday," the company said. The protest at the bridge stemmed from truckers opposing Canada's new mandate requiring them to either be fully vaccinated when crossing the Canadian-US border or face a two-week quarantine. Windsor Police earlier started arresting protesters blocking the bridge. Windsor Police Chief Pamela Mizuno said Sunday afternoon that up to 30 protesters had been arrested, most of whom were charged with "criminal mischief."

Windsor police also seized five vehicles from protesters Sunday, Mizuno said, and seven vehicles were towed Saturday. Police expect to have a heightened presence in the area to maintain order, the chief said. Let me be crystal clear: it is illegal and punishable to block and impede the movement of goods, people and services along critical infrastructure," Ontario Premier Doug Ford tweeted Sunday. "Fines for noncompliance will be severe, with a maximum penalty of $100,000 and up to a year imprisonment." Police started detaining protesters after a judge ordered them to leave the Ambassador Bridge by 7 p.m. Friday.

Some protesters moved away on their own as police approached Saturday morning. The truckers' "Freedom Convoy," which moved into the Canadian capital of Ottawa late last month, has expanded to other locations and drawn supporters resisting other Covid-19 prevention measures, including mask mandates, lockdowns and restrictions on gatherings. Canada has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with about 4 in every 5 Canadians fully vaccinated, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. And nearly 90% of the country's truckers are fully vaccinated and eligible to cross the border, according to the Canadian government.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/14/americas/canada-truckers-protest-monday/index.html