Canadian truckers block main bridge to US as Trudeau demands end to protest

Traffic has ground to a halt at the busiest border crossing in North America, as Canadian truckers and others angry with vaccine mandates spread their protest beyond Ottawa.

Trucks started blocking the Ambassador Bridge linking the cities of Detroit and Windsor late on Monday, closing down traffic in both directions. On Tuesday, entry to Canada remained blocked while US-bound traffic slowed to a crawl. Each day, 8,000 trucks normally cross the bridge, which handles about 27% of trade between Canada and the US. Protesters also targeted another major border crossing in Coutts, Alberta.

He called for unity among parties on applying the rule of law. Several prominent members of the opposition Conservatives have expressed support for the protest.

On Monday, an Ontario court judge approved an injunction sought by local residents to stop the honking for 10 days. But loud honking could be heard after the judgment was handed down, including from big rig trucks stationed directly in front of parliament.

The message from the Ottawa protesters has spread across the country and to the United States, where similar convoys are expected to arise. Late last week, Ottawa police said that the crowdfunding for the Canadian convoy had amassed considerable funding support from US individuals and groups.