As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed the protests by truckers as “unacceptable,” Canadian police threatened to jail the protestors who had shut down central Ottawa and hampered cross-border trade in protest of Covid health standards.
Protests have been taking place in Ottawa and at two border crossings between Canada and the United States for the past two weeks. The truckers are challenging a rule that requires trucks entering Canada to be totally immune to the coronavirus. Protesters have also spoken out against Covid passports and mask mandates.
“Blockages, illegal demonstrations are unacceptable, and are negatively impacting businesses and manufacturers,” Mr Trudeau said on Wednesday.
The truckers have been blocking the world’s largest international suspension bridge at a border crossing that accounts for almost a quarter of all US-Canada trade since Monday. Trade groups have condemned the shutdown of the Ambassador Bridge by roughly 100 protesters in their huge rigs. Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan are connected by this bridge.
