Major U.S.-Canada border crossing obstructed as ‘Freedom Convoy’ trucker protest escalates

The suspension bridge, which spans the Detroit River, is an important trade link, particularly for the auto industry on both sides of the border. In the tightly integrated border communities, it also connects families, friends and many essential workers, including Canadian nurses who work in Detroit-area hospitals.

The blockade of the bridge began Monday. It was unclear when it might end.

On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged the self-styled “Freedom Convoy,” which has since Jan. 28 jammed major thoroughfares in downtown Ottawa with idling big-rigs and other vehicles, to go home.

“Individuals are trying to blockade our economy, our democracy and our fellow citizens’ daily lives. It has to stop,” he said during an emergency debate in Parliament. “The people of Ottawa don’t deserve to be harassed in their own neighborhoods.”

The convoy started as a protest against U.S. and Canadian rules that require cross-border truckers to be fully vaccinated to enter their respective countries. But its grievances are now wide-ranging. Some protesters want an end to all public health measures, most of which are imposed by provinces.

Others are directing their ire at Trudeau.

In Ottawa, the number of people involved in the protests has fallen significantly since the weekend, but rows of big-rigs have continued their blockade. Local media reported a relatively quiet Monday night, after a judge granted a temporary injunction barring protesters from incessantly honking their horns.

Many businesses, including a downtown shopping mall, remained closed due to security concerns.

The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association called for “an immediate end” to the blockades, saying they are “threatening fragile supply chains already under pressure due to pandemic-related shortages and backlogs.”

“Auto production relies on efficient supply chain logistics for delivery of parts, components and vehicles,” Brian Kingston, the group’s chief executive, said in a statement. “Persistent delays at the Ambassador Bridge risk disrupting automotive production that employs tens of thousands of Canadians.”

Police in Ottawa worked to regain control of the capital, towing vehicles, seizing fuel and attempting to disband what Police Chief Peter Sloly has called a “siege” and an “unlawful” blockade.

“Canadians have the right to protest, to disagree with their government, and to make their voices heard. We’ll always protect that right,” Trudeau tweeted Monday. But he added that protesters do not “have the right to blockade our economy, or our democracy, or our fellow citizens’ daily lives.”

Police have launched at least 60 investigations into thefts, possible hate crimes and property damage, and have made arrests “for mischief.” Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has declared a state of emergency.

Judge Hugh McLean of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Monday granted a temporary injunction to bar protesters from honking horns at all hours in a central area of Ottawa.

The injunction is part of a proposed class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of 21-year-old local resident Zexi Li against organizers of the “Freedom Convoy” and participants who the suit claims are harming those who live near their protest by “using air horns and train horns on their vehicles in a concerted manner as a protest tactic.”

The suit alleges that the honking has caused “significant mental distress, suffering and torment.”

McLean said the apparent harm caused to residents by the honking outweighed the protesters’ right to air their grievances in that particular way, local media reported.

“Tooting a horn is not an expression of any great thought I’m aware of,” he said.

Canada and the United States announced last year that they would require truck drivers entering their countries to be fully vaccinated. Canada implemented its measure Jan. 15; the U.S. requirement started Jan. 22. Most cross-border trade between the two countries occurs over land.

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