Ambassador Bridge reopens after weeklong 'Freedom Convoy' protest over COVID-19 vaccine mandate
The Ambassador Bridge is open again after a vaccine mandate protest prompted a blockade, pausing traffic on a key international land port and costing millions of dollars in lost production.
The Detroit International Bridge Company announced Sunday night that the Ambassador Bridge is fully open allowing free flow of commerce between Canada and the United States.
The weeklong protest was started by truckers in opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other quarantine requirements, but early Sunday police said it ended after negotiations and multiple arrests. Despite the supposed peace talks, about a dozen protesters remained at an intersection close to the bridge into Sunday evening, waving flags and occasionally cheering.
Windsor Police Sgt. Steve Betteridge said Sunday afternoon that "about 15" people were arrested over the weekend and police towed "seven or eight" vehicles. Most of those arrested face a charge of mischief.
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The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said travellers and commercial carriers may still experience delays due to traffic volumes.
Border wait times can be checked here. As of 8:14 a.m. Monday, the Ambassador Bridge was showing no delay.
"The CBSA would like to thank travellers and commercial carriers for their patience and for helping to minimize the impact of this border service disruption," the agency said in a news release.
The so-called Freedom Convoy originally began last month in Ottawa, Canada's capital, but since then moved to the international border, gaining the attention of politicians internationally and the support of fellow vaccine and mask skeptics. Demonstrations at the border were largely nonviolent, with protesters singing, dancing and waving flags.
The closure of the bridge had an almost immediate impact, as an estimated 10,000 commercial vehicles cross the bridge each day with $325 million worth of goods, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury.
mmarini@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ambassador Bridge reopens after weeklong protest over vaccine mandate
