A huge number of trucks and other vehicles had been gathering through days and had blockaded the bridge that connects U.S. to Canada. These truckers and more were protesting against COVID-19 restrictions as well as the liberal government of President Justin Trudeau. Restrictions are actually falling away in Canada and other parts of the world as the omicron surge has been milder, so it has been difficult to understand the protests.
The truckers and other vehicles blocked the Ambassador Bridge that connects the two countries. The blockade caused economic hardship to industry as well as blue collar workers as huge automakers had to shut their plants as goods were prevented from reaching plants on both sides of the border.
The truckers created immense hardship to residents as well as to industry especially the automakers. On Friday, a judge ruled that the blockade should be removed by 7 p.m. that day. The decision came after a four and a half hour court hearing in the city of Windsor.
On Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford also declared a state of emergency. Threats were made of huge fines and imprisonment for those who were blocking the free flow of both goods and people. Most of the truckers dispersed peacefully. Local and national police formed a joint force and moved in and cleared those who refused to leave and arrested them
Although Canada had stricter pandemic guidelines than the U.S. a larger number of its citizens were vaccinated and their death rate is one third that of its neighbor U.S. This is why the truckers blockade was considered to be a fringe movement. Most of the Canadian residents were upset with the truckers who created a huge nuisance and disruptions for them and did not let them get on with their daily lives.
The so-called “Freedom Convoy” also reportedly got as much as 50 percent of its funding from the U.S., according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The right wing in the U.S. also cheered the convoy, before the Canadian Supreme Court judge ruled against the blockade.
Is Right Wing Media and Video Spreading Misinformation in Canada
