Ambassador Bridge reopens after police clear protesters
The crossing had been closed for nearly a week by a blockade protesting COVID-19 measures
The Canada Border Services Agency says the Ambassador Bridge border crossing between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit reopened late Sunday.
The crossing — one of the busiest in the country — had been closed for nearly a week by a blockade protesting COVID-19 measures.
The bridge sees hundreds of millions of dollars in imports and exports cross it each day, and politicians on both sides of the border decried the economic impact of the protest.
Earlier Sunday, police moved in on protesters, arresting at least 25 people to break up a days-long occupation near the bridge, which normally carries 25 per cent of all trade between Canada and the U.S.
Police, including officers from Windsor, London, the OPP and RCMP, have continued to maintain a strong presence in the area, blocking off intersections close to the bridge. Throughout Sunday, police conducted sweeps of the area of remaining protesters, telling them to go home or they would be arrested.
They moved in after the Ontario Superior Court granted an injunction Friday barring protesters from blocking the bridge.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens characterized the protest as an “illegal occupation” of the bridge.
About 12 people were arrested during the first morning clearing of protesters. Sgt. Steve Betteridge said those arrests were without incident and that police did not have to use force to detain the protesters.
But later in the afternoon, as a handful protesters remained on the sidewalks, police formed a line to disperse the demonstrators. As the line moved forward, a few demonstrators were tackled to the ground and arrested.
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Source: CBC News
