A judge on Friday ordered truckers demonstrating on the Ambassador Bridge on the US-Canada border to end the blockade they have carried out for the past five days, interrupting the flow of goods between the two countries and paralyzing the automotive industry.
At the moment it is not clear if the judge's order will lead to the Canadian police to evict the protesters, who have blocked the international bridge with trucks and other vehicles in protest against the mobility restrictions imposed to try to stop the coronavirus pandemic.
Judge Geoffrey Morawetz, Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court, said Friday during a virtual hearing that the order will take effect at 7:00 p.m. local time to give protesters time to comply.
[Ontario Declares State of Emergency Due to Blocking Truck Drivers Against COVID-19 Protection Measures]
Truckers and supporters block a driveway on the Ambassador Bridge linking Detroit to Windsor, protesting vaccine mandates and restrictions related to COVID-19 in Windsor, Ont., Friday, Feb. 11, 2022. Nathan Denette/AP
Windsor police have warned protesters blocking streets that they could be arrested and their vehicles impounded.
The judge's ruling came after a four-and-a-half-hour hearing in which Windsor city officials and lawyers representing the auto industry argued that the lockdown was seriously affecting economic activities in the city and the region. .
