Police in Windsor, Ontario, “commenced enforcement” against protesters who continue to occupy a vital Canada-U.S. trade corridor on Saturday, less than a day after a judge granted an injunction to end the blockade that has crippled North America’s well-knitted auto industry.
Tractor-trailer traffic has been blocked since late Monday from crossing the Ambassador Bridge from Windsor to Detroit. All Canada-bound bridge traffic from the U.S. has also been blocked since late Monday.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised President Joe Biden quick action to end the crisis, and on Friday a Canadian judge ordered an end to the blockade of the bridge, North America’s busiest land border crossing.
“The Windsor Police & its policing partners have commenced enforcement at and near the Ambassador Bridge. We urge all demonstrators to act lawfully & peacefully,” the police said in a tweet at 8:18 a.m. EST Saturday. “Commuters are still being asked to avoid the areas affected by the demonstrations at this time.”
At least four buses are on site as the protests continued for a sixth day on Saturday. Video posted by local media outlets show some protestors leaving the scene.
As of 9 a.m. EST, the situation looked peaceful, according to several social media posts and a live Youtube feed. Photos show strategically placed uniformed police officers at the entrance to the bridge, staring down the few protestors who remained.
The order went into effect at 7 p.m. EST on Friday, but five hours after the deadline, some 100 protesters were milling around the entrance to the bridge, waving Canadian flags.
While the number of protesters and police dropped as the night progressed, demonstrators continued to block the bridge with trucks and pick-up vans, preventing any flow of traffic in either direction.
Protesters sang the Canadian national anthem and midnight, and some shouted “Freedom!”
