Freedom Convoy: Canada court orders end to trucks’ bridge blockade
Protesters are still occupying the main crossing at Canada’s border with the United States, despite a court ruling ordering them to leave.
The injunction came into effect at 19:00 local time (midnight GMT) on Friday to end days of protests.
Truckers are blockading Ambassador Bridge, a vital trade link between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan.
Truckers’ protests against Covid restrictions are also ongoing at other border crossings and in Ottawa.
The injunction was filed by the city of Windsor and the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, which argued that they were losing as much as $50m ($39m; £29m) per day because of the convoy.
Following the court order, Windsor Police put out a statement to “make demonstrators clearly aware that it is a criminal offense” to block the border crossing. The police added that a criminal conviction could lead to the seizure of vehicles and the inability to enter the US.
But hours later, crowds of people waving Canadian flags flouted the order and continued to occupy the bridge.
Hundreds of other protesters continue to demonstrate in the center of Ottawa, the nation’s capital. Two other border crossings with the US are also being blocked by anti-vaccine protesters.
On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with US President Joe Biden about the border blockades.
The pair discussed their “shared challenges at the border”, Mr Trudeau said, with the prime minister promising quick action to resume trade.
Mr Trudeau added that he and Mr Biden also discussed US phone calls that have flooded police emergency call centers in Canada, and the donations and assistance that protesters are getting from American citizens.
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