Canada trucker protests block major border crossing

Protesters waving Canadian flags and carrying slogans on their vehicles blocked the Ambassador Bridge linking Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit on Monday evening, backing up traffic for miles. The bridge is one of Canada’s busiest international land border crossings and serves as a major route for transport trucks. Canadian truckers since Jan. 29 have been protesting the country’s stringent COVID-19 restrictions. By early Tuesday morning, police said the U.S.-bound lane at the bridge had reopened.

How are Canadian authorities responding? An Ontario judge granted a 10-day injunction to block protesting truckers gathered in downtown Ottawa from blaring their horns. In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said the city needs 1,800 more officers to reinforce the current delegation of 2,100 police and civilian members. Ottawa police say the protests cost the city between $1.8 million to $2.2 million daily for policing services. During an emergency debate in the House of Commons on Monday evening, Trudeau accused the protesters of trying to derail Canada’s democracy. He said the federal government would provide the city with the resources needed to end the protests.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard talk to Canadian lawyer Allison Pejovic about the Freedom Convoy on The World and Everything in It.