Ontario, February 13: Windsor Police say the end to the Ambassador Bridge blockade is in sight after clearing protesters off of the road leading up to the vital crossing.
“Moving forward, we are hoping to have the roadway open and the bridge open later today. But, as you can appreciate, it’s a very fluid situation with a number of factors involved,” Windsor Police Sgt. Steve Betteridge told reporters late Sunday morning.
Betteridge said there were “two or three vehicles, at least” that had to be towed and that 12 protesters were arrested. A statement from Windsor Police said those who were arrested are facing charges of mischief.
“I’m very pleased to say, out of those 12 arrests, there was no violence involved. No violence with the protesters and an officer did not have to use use-of-force,” he said.
The city’s mayor applauded the work of the police and said the Ambassador Bridge will reopen “when it is safe to do so.”
“Today, our national economic crisis at the Ambassador Bridge came to an end. Border crossings will reopen when it is safe to do so and I defer to police and border agencies to make that determination,” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said in a statement on Sunday morning.
Since Saturday morning, police have been slowly pushing back protesters away from the bridge entrance. Police also stated that vehicles are being towed, and residents should continue to avoid the area. They warned there would be “zero tolerance for illegal activity.”
“Police are trying to be very cautious, very measured in their approach so that nobody gets hurt, that they don’t further inflame the situation, but that they do end it.”
The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest crossing in North America and has been closed for nearly a week as a result of the protest calling for an end to all COVID-19 restrictions. While the larger rigs may no longer be crowding the protest site, demonstrators continue to stand their ground despite an injunction demanding that they leave.
