Status: 02/11/2022 8:54 p.m
It started as a protest against compulsory vaccination for truckers, but now the blockades are turning into a showdown with the authorities. Ontario declared a state of emergency. Premier Trudeau did not rule out the use of force to break up the blockades.
Because of the trucker protests in Canada that have been going on for more than two weeks, the province of Ontario has declared a state of emergency. The “Siege of Ottawa” has been going on for two weeks now, said Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford. “It’s an illegal occupation. It’s no longer a protest.”
Imprisonment, fines and license withdrawal threatened
Ford also announced measures to end the blockades in the Canadian capital Ottawa and at an important border bridge to Detroit. These included fines of up to 70,000 euros and a year in prison for the demonstrators. In addition, truck drivers could have their licenses revoked. Task forces would be deployed to protect important roads, airports, ports and other infrastructure facilities.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not rule out the use of force to break up the blockades. If the protesters against the government’s corona measures didn’t go home, there would be “increasing police intervention,” Trudeau said in Ottawa. Any measure is possible, but the deployment of the military is the last resort. “I can’t say much more about exactly when or how this will end now because we are concerned about violence,” Trudeau added.
The blockade of the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor and Detroit has meanwhile affected Canada’s economy and border traffic. 25 percent of Canada-US freight traffic crosses the bridge. Several automakers in the region were forced to partially shut down their production lines.
Concerned about “unprecedented” trade problems
The drastic measures against the demonstrators are now necessary before “unprecedented” trade problems arise, said Ford. “As soon as possible” they will ensure that access to the bridge is free again.
Thousands of people have been demonstrating in Canada against corona measures and vaccination regulations for days. With trucks and other vehicles, they blocked, among other things, parts of downtown Ottawa. The protests initially focused on vaccination requirements for truck drivers and then on government pandemic restrictions overall. In January, an ordinance came into effect requiring truck drivers returning from the United States to provide proof of vaccinations.