Int'l bridge linking US to Canada reopens after police remove protesters

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Ambassador Bridge at the main international border that links Canada and the US reopened late Sunday following anti-coronavirus protesters who had occupied the crossing for almost a week, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has reported, citing the country's Border Services Agency.

“Today, our national economic crisis at the Ambassador bridge came to an end,” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said in a statement on Sunday.

Dilkens added: “Border crossings will reopen when it is safe to do so and I defer to police and border agencies to make that determination.”

Earlier, a Canadian judge granted a court order to remove protesters blocking the bridge.

The Ambassador Bridge is the main conduit for hundreds of millions of dollars in back-and-forth goods, particularly auto parts, carried daily by trucks.

The blockade disrupted the flow, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden were concerned about damage to the economies and job losses in their countries.

Dilkens had said earlier that the bridge closure resulted in a CAN$ 400 million (US$ 314 million) negative impact daily on the Canadian economy.

The protesters were part of a large movement demanding an end to various coronavirus health regulations, including mandated vaccinations.

They began blocking the bridge a week ago, and other border crossing points in Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta have also seen blockades.