The standoff at the Ambassador Bridge between Freedom Convoy protesters and the Windsor Police (and other police who have been buttressing their forces) continued into this morning. We reported on Saturday how the police had moved in yesterday but then were largely just holding a line and trying to push the protesters into an ever-smaller space. The number of protesters there has waxed and waned with more in the evenings. According to reports, most of the vehicles had moved out before this morning, but about thirty people and some vehicles were still there. So it stood to reason they’d make another try to move them this morning and they did.
More images of this morning’s scene. pic.twitter.com/Q9Eax4DDFe
— Katerina Georgieva (@KatGeorgieva) February 13, 2022
Police approaching pic.twitter.com/z35IbgL7Zq
— Katerina Georgieva (@KatGeorgieva) February 13, 2022
Are you willing to be arrested?
We’ll see. pic.twitter.com/G3joBFF2bn
— Katerina Georgieva (@KatGeorgieva) February 13, 2022
‘Time to go’ police say. pic.twitter.com/IW6LQwGjmD
— Katerina Georgieva (@KatGeorgieva) February 13, 2022
The police moved the media back behind concrete barriers they brought in last night so they were further away from the action.
Police have asked media to move behind this barrier. Arrests have been made. pic.twitter.com/HR3GZmEo70
— Katerina Georgieva (@KatGeorgieva) February 13, 2022
The police moved in with tow trucks, some of which reportedly came from the United States (because tow trucks in Canada have largely been rejecting such requests) and now more vehicles of those who remain are being towed and people are being arrested.
Tow trucks showing up to remove the remaining personal vehicles.
Drivers arrested moments ago. pic.twitter.com/PmlvIYIGzL
— Katerina Georgieva (@KatGeorgieva) February 13, 2022
The difference between peaceful protesters and the BLM? You see it right here — they had pledged that they would not fight police, that they were there to make their point and they held to it.
This man who was blocking the lane with his pick up arrested by police pic.twitter.com/rPT1k1g9u4
— Ellen Mauro (@EMauroCBC) February 13, 2022
The last of the trucks has left pic.twitter.com/aaz5lx8I5a
— Ellen Mauro (@EMauroCBC) February 13, 2022
Police have cleared the entire Windsor protest zone and are pushing back anyone remaining who may be blocking the road leading to the Ambassador Bridge pic.twitter.com/MKx3o9C4gt
— Thomas Daigle (@thomasdaigle) February 13, 2022
So they have removed the people at the bridge, saying that they would be charged with “mischief.” It’s not clear if they will attempt to drop on them the questionable charges that Ontario Premier Doug Ford spoke about the other day involving things like a $100,000 fine or up to a year in jail — charges he claimed he would impose as part of the “state of emergency” that he declared. The protesters were warned they could face that, yet, still, they stayed.
Blockades continue at less contentious points, although they move against them as well.
Protesters have also used semitrailers — and sometimes farm equipment and other vehicles — to block crossings between Emerson, Manitoba, and Pembina, North Dakota, as well as at the Coutts access point between Alberta and Montana.
And about 50 vehicles have blocked access to the Canadian-US border at Emerson since Thursday, the Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Saturday.
The response? Start another one elsewhere.
A new Freedom Convoy has descended on the Pacific Highway Canada/U.S. border crossing in Surrey, British Columbia.
People on the ground are telling me the highway is completely gridlocked.
pic.twitter.com/34CbkprziK— Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) February 12, 2022
There are still thousands of people and hundreds of trucks in Ottawa, which would be much harder to move. They have a line of portapotties right under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s window at Parliament in Ottawa. Somehow, so appropriate.
Not business as usual anytime soon in #Ottawa @chrisrands just shot this video of a line of Portapotties outside @JustinTrudeau's office where his motorcade usually parks #Cdnpoli #onpoli pic.twitter.com/Og56Gv2oXj
— Travis Dhanraj (@Travisdhanraj) February 12, 2022
At what point do they figure out the proper response is to talk with them and resolve the mandates? The provinces are getting it, but not Trudeau.
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