Police stand off with Ambassador Bridge protesters; protests continue across Canada

Windsor Police, as well as officers from other agencies, have been stepping up enforcement and moving in on the convoy protesters who have blocked the Ambassador Bridge for the past six days.

"The Windsor Police & its policing partners have commenced enforcement at and near the Ambassador Bridge. We urge all demonstrators to act lawfully & peacefully. Commuters are still being asked to avoid the areas affected by the demonstrations at this time," the Windsor Police Service tweeted on Saturday morning.

The protesters have been calling for an end to all COVID-19 restrictions. Since Friday night, the roads leading up to the bridge in Windsor, Ont., have seen a heavy police presence consisting of local officers, the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police and other agencies.

Just after 8 a.m. Saturday, police officers showed up on buses and fanned out across the base of the bridge. Plainclothes officers also spoke to some of the protesters in vehicles, asking them to leave.

A line of police officers began slowly pushing the remaining protesters back away from the bridge shortly before noon on Saturday.

Large, armoured police vehicles were seen behind the officers, who stopped their advance by shortly after noon.

Police now remain in an apparent standoff with protesters, with more demonstrators arriving throughout the afternoon.

Police say they are actively enforcing parking in the area of the protest, with vehicles being ticketed and towed. At least one vehicle near the demonstration area was removed, which police say was at the owner's request due to a mechanical issue.

On Saturday night, Windsor Police said they arrested a 27-year-old man at the blockade protest, alleging he committed a criminal offence in relation to the demonstration, but did not say what charges he may face.

Police did not release any further details about the incident.

Protests ramped up in Surrey, B.C. Saturday evening after multiple commercial trucks and a military-style vehicle broke through an RCMP barricade on the Pacific Highway while following protesters marching to the border Saturday afternoon.

While the border remains open, the main route to the port of entry, shared with Blaine, Wash., has closed due to the protesters, according to the Canadian Press.

The Canada Border Services Agency is advising travellers to use "an alternative processing site" until the road clears.

The RCMP said in a press release that the "behaviour is not being tolerated" and is being investigated.

There were no reports of injuries or arrests, but Surrey RCMP say drivers could have caused harm to pedestrians and first responders.

Police say officers are working with provincial and federal departments, as well as the Canada Border Services Agency, to restore usual traffic flow.

Demonstrators have set up near the border crossing for nearly a week.

And as protesters descended on the nation's capital for a third straight weekend on Saturday, Ottawa Police announced it had established an Integrated Command Centre (ICC), together with the OPP and RCMP, due to the influx of demonstrators to the city and an "escalation of the current occupation."

Cabinet ministers and other officials updated the prime minister following the ICC meeting.

The Ottawa Police Service says more than 4,000 demonstrators were in the city's downtown throughout the day, with "aggressive, illegal behaviour" from many creating safety concerns and limiting police capabilities.

"We expect that the ICC will result in a significantly enhanced ability of our police service to respond to the current situation in our city," the statement from Ottawa police said.

"The ICC will allow us to make the most effective use of the additional resources our policing partners have provided to us."

A protester attempts to speak with police officers as they enforce an injunction against their demonstration, which has blocked traffic across the Ambassador Bridge by protesters against COVID-19 restrictions, in Windsor, Ont., Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS / Nathan Denette

A protester attempts to speak with police officers as they enforce an injunction against their demonstration, which has blocked traffic across the Ambassador Bridge by protesters against COVID-19 restrictions, in Windsor, Ont., Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS / Nathan Denette

WINDSOR STANDSTILL

An Ontario Superior Court judge granted an injunction to remove the demonstrators, which went into effect at 7 p.m. on Friday. Ontario Premier Doug Ford also declared a state of emergency and protesters who refuse to comply may face fines up to $100,000 and up to a year in prison.

The Ford government also adopted an emergency order in council on Saturday morning, giving the province the power to revoke drivers' licenses, license plates and commercial vehicle registrations for anyone blocking highways and other critical infrastructure.

CTV News Windsor's Michelle Maluske reported from the scene that some protesters had begun to pack up and leave ahead of police moving in to enforce a court injunction, while others remain defiant in the face of fines and jail time.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told CTV News Channel on Saturday afternoon that he expects the situation to resolve this weekend.

"At the end of the day, if folks are just absolutely unwilling to leave, police will have to do what is required to remove them so we can get this border crossing open," he said.

The blockade at the Ambassador Bridge, North America's busiest land border crossing, has already caused supply chain woes. Several automakers, such as Toyota and Ford, have had to run on reduced capacity due to a lack of parts.

"Everyone in the city understands and appreciates the importance of having the Ambassador Bridge open because so many families in my community rely on smooth and efficient border crossings to put bread on their table," Dilkens said.

Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati told CTV News Channel on Saturday that after two years, everyone shares the frustration around pandemic restrictions.

"But we don't all share the idea and support of all the tactics being utilized," he said.

With four international border crossings in the Niagara region, he said he is watching the situation closely.

Reuters has reported that a convoy of motorists in the U.S. plans to head to the waterfront in Port Huron, Mich., across the border from Sarnia, Ont., while two more convoys will converge on the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, N.Y., across from Fort Erie, Ont.

Diodati says he hopes all levels of government will come together to deal with the situation collectively and through diplomacy, so it doesn't get worse.

Along with supply chain issues, he says families in the region also rely on tourism, which has been devastated after two seasons.

Asked about whether he believes mandates should be dropped, Diodati says he is ready, at the very least, to have a schedule in order to start doing so.

"Nine out of 10 Canadians are vaccinated, that's about as good as it's going to get," he said. "I think it's time to move on now, for everybody."

People talk with police officers as trucks block a downtown street during protests against COVID-19 restrictions in Ottawa on Saturday, February 12, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

People talk with police officers as trucks block a downtown street during protests against COVID-19 restrictions in Ottawa on Saturday, February 12, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

OTTAWA PROTESTS CONTINUE FOR 3RD WEEKEND

Along with intercepting a fuel transport downtown, police say they also safely managed the movement of a 300-vehicle convoy and a 20-kilometre long car convoy from Quebec.

Semi-trucks and other vehicles had gathered outside of Montreal earlier in the day before travelling to Ottawa to join the main Freedom Convoy.

Police have alleged that demonstrators were aggressive toward officers overnight on Friday, saying they were "refusing to follow directions, overwhelming officers, and otherwise subverting enforcement efforts."

Police said in a media release Saturday morning that 140 criminal investigations are underway, while officers have made more than two-dozen arrests and handed out more than 2,600 tickets alongside bylaw officers in the city.

A stolen vehicle bound for the protest was also seized, police said, making it the second stolen vehicle linked to the occupation.

Police also said they are working with Ontario's Ministry of Transportation on a truck violation initiative, which has so far resulted in three vehicles being taken out of service and 10 charges.

Residents reported hearing loud music and horns throughout Friday night as the protest continued in downtown Ottawa. CTV News producer Mackenzie Gray said protesters held a party on the streets of downtown Ottawa, complete with a DJ, a massive screen and professional audio equipment.

Protesters also took apart the fence that had been barricading the National War Memorial. The fence was set up after some convoy participants had danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, parked vehicles at the grounds of the memorial and even urinated on the cenotaph two weeks ago.

Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay called this "completely unacceptable."

"Fences were put up to prevent the flagrant desecration and disrespect of our sacred monuments. This behaviour is disappointing and I’m calling on protesters to respect our monuments," he tweeted on Saturday afternoon.

A statement from the Royal Canadian Legion criticized the removal of the fencing, saying the "reported inaction by those charged with safeguarding the site was deeply disturbing."

Thousands of people participated in a counter-protest four kilometres from Parliament Hill. The city of Ottawa, meanwhile, is seeking a court injunction to stop the noise, idling and fireworks in the demonstration zone.

Counter-protestors gather in support of vaccines and mandates as a larger group of people against COVID-19 measures has grown into a broader anti-government protest in Ottawa on Feb. 12, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle

Counter-protestors gather in support of vaccines and mandates as a larger group of people against COVID-19 measures has grown into a broader anti-government protest in Ottawa on Feb. 12, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle

OTHER CITIES MET WITH CONVOY PROTESTS

A few hundred people gathered near the Ontario legislature on Saturday in support of the convoy protests.

Police closed the road that encircles Queen's Park to vehicles, as well as "hospital row," an area home to several hospitals. Police have said they will "not tolerate" encampments or vehicles being used to block roadways.

After closing portions of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway, two major highways that cut through Toronto, to prevent trucks and other vehicles from reaching the downtown core, police reopened the roadways later Saturday afternoon.

Convoy supporters as well as counter-protesters held demonstrations at a park in Montreal.

People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier joined the protest, telling the crowd, "The wind is turning around."

"We don't want a reopening plan, we want it to be over now, today," he said.

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante has asked protesters to remain peaceful and noted that the city is still under a COVID-19 state of emergency.

In the New Brunswick capital of Fredericton, around 300 people on Friday honked horns and waved signs and Canadian flags in front of the provincial legislature, protesting COVID-19 public health measures.

Protesters also descended on Halifax for a demonstration in the Nova Scotia capital.

Out west, protesters continue to blockade border crossings in Emerson, Man. and Coutts, Alta. The Canada Border Services Agency says it is currently unable to provide services at the Coutts border crossing due to the blockade.

Hundreds of protesters gathered at the provincial legislatures in Winnipeg and Edmonton. The City of Edmonton received an interim injunction so police could respond to noise complaints during the convoy demonstrations, although it appeared to have little effect as horns blared throughout the demonstration.

On Friday, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney ruled out imposing emergency measures similar to the ones implemented in Ontario.

"We already had stronger laws than Ontario. Last year, we passed the Defensive Critical Infrastructure Act that gives the police enormous powers and very stiff fines and penalties, including the power of imprisonment," Kenney told CTV'S Question Period on Friday.

An approximately 20-vehicle convoy in Saskatchewan also planned to travel from Regina to the U.S. border.

With files from CTV News and The Canadian Press

— Michelle Maluske (@MMaluskeCTV) February 12, 2022