The Ambassador Bridge is open again after a vaccine mandate protest prompted a blockade, pausing traffic on a key international land port and costing millions of dollars in lost production.
The Detroit International Bridge Co. announced Sunday night that the Ambassador Bridge is fully open allowing free flow of commerce between Canada and the United States.
The weeklong protest was started by truckers in opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other quarantine requirements, but early Sunday police said it ended after negotiations and multiple arrests. Despite the supposed peace talks, about a dozen protesters remained at an intersection close to the bridge into Sunday evening, waving flags and occasionally cheering.
On Monday, a few protesters returned but heavy police presence is limiting access to the bridge. Intersections near the main road to the bridge are essentially all cut off by police cruisers.
According to Windsor Police, there have been 42 arrests and 37 seized vehicles since the protest began. The large majority of persons arrested have since been released with a future court date and are facing a charge of mischief, police said. Some are also facing a charge of disobeying a court order.
More:Ambassador Bridge protest to pinch car buyers’ pocketbooks for some time
More:Ambassador Bridge reopening a ‘win for Michigan,’ Gov. Whitmer says
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said travelers and commercial carriers may still experience delays due to traffic volumes.
Border wait times can be checked here. As of 8:14 a.m. Monday, the Ambassador Bridge was showing no delay.
“The CBSA would like to thank travelers and commercial carriers for their patience and for helping to minimize the impact of this border service disruption,” the agency said in a news release.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a statement Monday calling the reopening a “win for Michigan.” She also said it’s important not to have a repeat of last week’s closure.
“It’s important to ensure that this does not happen again,” Whitmer said. “I will work to protect the economic freedom and well-being of families and businesses in Michigan.”
Matt Moroun, chairman of Detroit International Bridge Co., echoed that sentiment and issued a “call to action.”
“On behalf of the Detroit International Bridge Company and the thousands of hard-working people on both sides of the U.S. and Canadian border, I’d like to thank everyone who came together to reopen the Ambassador Bridge. I would also like to recognize the hard-working truck drivers who exercised their right to free speech and made their voices heard,” Moroun said in a written statement.
“After the events of 9-11, our cities, states, and the countries of Canada and the U.S. all pulled together to ensure our international commerce continued to thrive. Now we must join together to come up with an actionable plan that will protect and secure all border crossings in the Canada/U.S. corridor and ensure that this kind of disruption to critical infrastructure will never happen again.”
The so-called Freedom Convoy originally began last month in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, but since then moved to the international border, gaining the attention of politicians internationally and the support of fellow vaccine and mask skeptics. Demonstrations at the border were largely nonviolent, with protesters singing, dancing and waving flags.
The closure of the bridge had an almost immediate impact, as an estimated 10,000 commercial vehicles cross the bridge each day with $325 million worth of goods, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury.
mmarini@freepress.com
Source Article from https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/02/13/ambassador-bridge-reopens-after-week-long-protest-over-vaccine-mandate/6779258001/
Comments