After a court order failed to end the “Freedom Convoy” protests at a US-Canadian border bridge, police began making arrests Sunday morning.
Police in Windsor, Ontario began detaining protesters and removing vehicles from the area around the Ambassador bridge early Sunday morning. The bridge runs from the Canadian city to Detroit.
The New York Post reported that “Only two pickup trucks and less than a dozen protesters blocked the road to the bridge” when the police showed up.
Police barricades still remain up at the bridge and it’s unclear when it will be opened again.
On Saturday, police attempted to convince protesters to move their vehicles blocking the bridge, which sees approximately 25% of trade between the U.S. and Canada.
In Ottawa, where protests have been going for two weeks, the number of protesters had reached 4,000.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford had declared a state of emergency, which allows for fines of 100,000 Canadian dollars and up to one year in jail for people blocking roads, bridges, and other important infrastructure.
A judge had also ordered an end to the blockade of vehicles.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens tweeted, “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”.
The Detroit Free Press reported that, even though Windsor Police and the Canadian city’s mayor said the blockade had ended, “new or returning protesters arrived back at a previously cleared intersection near the Ambassador Bridge”.
Several arrests were made Saturday night into Sunday and those people will all face a charge of mischief.