Blockaded US-Canada border crossing reopens
The US-Canada border reopens after anti-vax protests in Canada blocked it for days.
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"Freedom Convoy" on the US-Canada border
The operator of a crucial US-Canada border crossing said it reopened late Sunday, nearly a week after it was shut down by truck driver-led demonstrations against Covid-19 restrictions.
"The Ambassador Bridge is now fully open, once again allowing the free flow of commerce between the Canadian and US economies," the Detroit International Bridge Company said in a statement.
Earlier, the Ambassador Bridge was shut down and blocked from commercial traffic due to protests. It is known as the busiest bridge between Canada and the United States and is a vital link for the auto industry.
The crossing regularly carries 25% of all goods between the two countries, and the Canadian blockade had affected business in both countries, forcing automakers to close several assembly factories.
Automakers are straining to address scarcity in supplies as long-haul trucks and smaller automobiles become stuck in traffic.
The truckers are protesting Covid-19 restrictions in Canada, which force them to be fully vaccinated or undergo quarantine when they cross the US border.
Earlier, the US urged Canada to use federal power to end the trucker "Freedom Convoy" protests in the nation's capital. "Freedom Convoy" drivers could be fined $100,000, jailed for a year, and have their trucks seized and licenses revoked after Biden urged Trudeau to get even tougher.
President Joe Biden has been kept up to date on the protests which have also expanded at the Ambassador Bridge border crossing in Windsor, Ontario. The bridge is the largest international bridge suspension bridge in the world and links Ontario to Detroit, Michigan. The border crossing accounts for a fifth of all US-Canada commerce.
What happened?
Thousands of protesters rallied in Canada's capital to oppose vaccination requirements, masks, and lockdowns. Some carried posters and flags with swastikas, and others utilized the monument of Canadian hero Terry Fox to demonstrate anti-vaccine sentiment, eliciting widespread outrage.
Protesters equated vaccination requirements to fascism, as one vehicle hoisted a Confederate flag and several held posters including expletives aimed at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
