The Ontario Superior Court of Justice granted an injunction on Friday ordering the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protesters to end the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge in the City of Windsor, which has disrupted cross-border transportation between the US and Canada.
Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz gave the injunction order earlier in the day and it came into effect at 7:00 PM ET on February 11, when a large crowd was still present at the bridge. The order is valid for 10 days from the said effective date and it restrains and enjoins any person “from impeding or blocking access to the Ambassador Bridge and indirect or direct approaching roadways and access points.”
Furthermore, the court ordered “any police officer with the Windsor Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police, and any other police authority” (“the Police”) to arrest and remove any person who they reasonably suspect to have willfully disobeyed this order. The order also confirmed that the Police is authorized to “remove any vehicles, personal property, equipment, structures, or other objects that impede or block access” to the bridge and its approaching roadways, and gave full discretion to the police with respect to the manner and timing of enforcement of the order.
The court also authorized the police to release any person it arrests provided the person agrees “in writing” to obey this order moving forward. The court clarified that the order does not apply to anyone who engages in “a peaceful, lawful and safe protest, that does not impede or block access” to the bridge and its approaching roadways.
After the injunction order was granted, the City of Windsor said that “Law enforcement will collaborate and coordinate to assess next steps” to ensure compliance with the order, but refused to release any operational details “to ensure the safety and security of all involved.”
The Windsor-Detroit trade corridor at the Ambassador Bridge is one of the busiest commercial border crossings in the world and more than $350 million worth of goods cross the Windsor–Detroit border on a daily basis, which constitutes one-third of all surface trade between Canada and the US. The Windsor-Essex area is home to more than 6,500 individuals working outside of Canada, nearly all of whom commute across the Windsor-Detroit border. Thus, the blockade at the bridge has caused severe disruption and has taken a heavy financial toll on both countries prompting Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to appeal to Canadian authorities to “take all necessary and appropriate steps to immediately and safely reopen traffic.”
Five hours after the court-ordered deadline, approximately 100 protesters waving Canadian flags were still found loitering around the entrance to the bridge.
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