The "Free Motorcade" protested the blockade of the Ambassadors Bridge on the U.S.-Canada border
In mid-January, the Canadian government announced that truck drivers passing through the Canada-U.S. border must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and other anti-epidemic measures. On January 22, local time, hundreds of Canadian truck drivers and their supporters organized a "free motorcade" and drove to the capital Ottawa on January 29 to start a mass protest to demand that the government lift the restriction.
Over the past half a month, the "free motorcade" protest demonstrations have intensified, and demonstrators have turned against the canadian government's multiple epidemic prevention restrictions and compulsory vaccination measures. At present, there are large protest demonstrations in Ottawa, Toronto, Victoria, Quebec City, Windsor Ambassador Bridge and other places.
On 6 February, Ottawa declared a state of emergency. Police said they would deploy a large number of additional police and warned protesters could be fined or arrested.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on February 9 that the protests had affected "the economy, democracy and everyday life" and would make every effort to end the protests and refuse to make concessions on federal measures. It is said that New Zealand, the United States, France and other countries have also begun to follow the example of "free motorcades", some people have tried to launch similar demonstrations against the epidemic prevention measures, and protest organizers in these countries are launching calls on social media to publish detailed protest road maps and meeting points. At the moment, it is unclear how large these protests are.
Members of the French protest convoy prepare to depart from Nice for Paris
The border bridge is blocked
U.S.-Canada trade is affected
The busiest cross-border bridge between the United States and Canada, the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, is reportedly an important cross-border road between the United States and Canada, accounting for 25% of the trade between the two countries. More than $450 million of goods flow between U.S. and Canadian cities through the Ambassador Bridge each day, making it one of the world's busiest commercial crossings, primarily involving the transportation supply of products in key sectors such as the automotive industry, agriculture and aerospace.
The "Free Trucks" protests began to spread to the border bridge on Monday, leading to a partial lockdown of the bridge. Windsor's automaker said many factories had reduced parts production and shift times for thousands of workers due to traffic disruptions. Although part of the transport was diverted to the Bluewater Bridge between Port Huron, Michigan, and Sarnia, Ontario, roads there were reported to be overwhelmed and traffic jams caused hours of transportation delays. In response, U.S. and Canadian officials are increasingly concerned about the supply chain crisis and economic impact of destructive demonstrations.
Ambassador Bridge is an important cross-border road between the United States and Canada
The ambassador bridge's current lane to the U.S. has reportedly reopened, and the waiting time for vehicles to enter the U.S. is less than 15 minutes. The wait time for cars to Canada is up to 30 minutes, and for commercial trucks is more than 1.5 hours. "They (the protesters) are basically choking all Canadians by the throat and we need to end the protests as soon as possible." Bill Blair, Canada's emergency preparedness minister and former commissioner of the Toronto Police Department, said at a Feb. 9 news conference.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dirkkens also warned that the situation at Ambassadors Bridge could get worse. "These protesters are so enthusiastic that some may be willing to die for it." "If someone holds this sentiment, tensions could escalate further and threaten the safety of the police and the public in a very short period of time," Dirkens said. ”
The Ambassador Bridge is privately held. Matt Morren, chairman of the Detroit International Bridge Corporation, called on the two governments to de-escalate the situation in a "mutually respectful" manner. White House press secretary Jane Psaki said Feb. 9 that the U.S. side supports peaceful protests, but that citizens of both countries should be aware of the impact of the protests on workers and supply chains.
Psaki also said the U.S. government would be "very closely" concerned about disruptions to transportation at the U.S.-Canada border. She said the government was in close communication with border authorities, the auto industry, Michigan officials and Canada. "We're working hard to mitigate the impact as much as we can."
The Prime Minister refused to budge
Many provinces have relaxed epidemic prevention
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned to his office on Feb. 7 after being confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 and quarantined for a week, addressing the Ottawa Parliament on Feb. 9. At the meeting, Trudeau slammed the protests by truck drivers across the country, saying illegal demonstrations were "unacceptable" in disrupting the economy, democracy and people's normal lives, and pledged to do everything in their power to end the protests.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the truck drivers' destructive protests
Canadian police said they would "respect canadians' right to exercise free speech and peaceful assembly" and that they would "maintain open communication" with protest organizers to try to reduce the risk of escalation. On the other hand, the police also explicitly stated that "illegal road blockades constitute a criminal offense" and that protesters could face fines, vehicles confiscated, or even arrested.
In addition, the Canadian government has put pressure on GoFundMe, a website that raises money for truck drivers' protests. The site has paid more than $780,000 to protest organizers and announced on Feb. 4 that it would stop paying the remaining $7.1 million. Free Fleet was forced to switch donation platforms, having raised $7.8 million on the GiveSendGo website as of Feb. 9, but U.S. officials said they would investigate The GiveSendGo donations.
Trudeau has refused to make concessions on federal measures, but Canadian provinces have begun to gradually lift the restrictions on the epidemic. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Prince Edward Island have all announced plans to eliminate most of their measures this month. Alberta Governor Jason Kenny said on Feb. 8 that the restrictions associated with the outbreak "disrupted and even destroyed livelihoods in the province."
While most Canadians support the government's public health measures to fight the pandemic, truck driver protesters are still tired of the epidemic regulations. "Our goal is simple: to remove all outbreak restrictions and vaccination mandates and bring freedom to this country." Harold Juncker, a 49-year-old truck driver, said.
Juncker is from the Niagara region of southern Ontario, Canada, a 5-hour drive from Ottawa. He said he would not abandon the protests any time soon. "We can stay here for a few months if we want to." Juncker said, "We don't see much support from the government. ”
Canadian government officials and law enforcement say they will do their best to strike a "balance between individual rights and freedoms and the maintenance of public peace and order." But when will the protests end? They can't give a rough answer at this time.
Red Star News reporter Ding Wen
Edited by Pan Li
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