Canada trucker protest LIVE – Cops arrest 12 demonstrators and tow vehicles away at border amid warning over Super Bowl

Counterprotestors organized

Hundreds of local residents took the streets to counterprotest the “Freedom Convoy” protestors on Sunday.

Counterprotestors formed a human blockade attempting to stop trucks from gaining access to the protest.

People against the Canadian truckers have been posting Twitter hashtags like #convoygohome and #GoHomeFluTruxKlan.

Bridge will open soon

Police say the blockaded Ambassador Bridge will reopen soon, but it needs to be plowed first.

Liz Sherwood-Randall, the White House homeland security adviser, said that the bridge will reopen once safety checks are completed.

How many protestors were arrested?

Earlier today, Windsor police Sgt. Steve Betteridge said that at least 12 people were arrested when officers from multiple police forces advanced.

Sunday’s police presence

Windsor Police said on Sunday that they arrested several protestors on a charge of mischief, but its unclear how many were arrested.

There were more than 50 police vehicles at the scene on Sunday, including cruises, buses and an armored car.

The number of protestors dropped from Saturday’s estimated 100 participants to around 45.

Gov Whitmer called for end to blockade, continued

“Our communities and automotive, manufacturing, and agriculture businesses are feeling the effects. It’s hitting paychecks and production lines. That is unacceptable,” Gov Whitmer added in the lengthy statement.

“The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest land border crossing in North America, used by tens of thousands of commuters and truck drivers carrying hundreds of millions of dollars of goods every day.”

“Countless Michiganders rely on this daily flow of goods and people to get things done.”

“It is imperative that Canadian local, provincial, and national governments de-escalate this economic blockade. They must take all necessary and appropriate steps to immediately and safely reopen traffic so we can continue growing our economy, supporting good-paying jobs, and lowering costs for families.”

Gov Whitmer called for end to blockade

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer called on Canadian authorities to shut down the blockade on the Canadian side of the Ambassador Bridge in a statement released on Thursday.

“My message is simple: reopen traffic on the bridge,” she wrote in a statement shared to Twitter and reported by Fox10 Phoenix.

“In Michigan, our economy continues to grow because of our hardworking people and innovative small businesses. Now, that momentum is at risk.”

“Commercial traffic is at a standstill at the Ambassador Bridge and heavily backed up at the Blue Water Bridge,” she added. “The blockade is having a significant impact on Michigan’s working families who are just trying to do their jobs.”

Six day blockade

The protestor’s blockade forced Detroit’s carmakers to cease the flow of commerce for six days.

Ford Motor Co,the country’s second-largest automaker, General Motors Co and Toyota Motor Corp all were forced to stop production.

The Ambassador Bridge carries about $360million a day in two-way cargoes.

Some protestors organize on Facebook

Some of the protestors for the upcoming demonstrations in the United States are organizing on social media networks like Facebook, according to Politico.

“Our brothers and sisters of the highway succeeded in opening Canadians’ eyes about the unconstitutional mandates and hardships forced onto their people,” organizers of The People’s Convoy event said on their Facebook page.

“Now it’s time for the citizens of the United States of America to unite and demand restoration of our constitutional rights.”

The page had almost 60,000 members.

White House statement

White House Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall released a statement regarding the “Freedom Convoy” protestors.

“We are working closely with our Canadian counterparts to end the blockade of key bridges and crossings between the United States and Canada and to restore vital commerce between our two nations,” the statement said.

Trump’s ‘Freedom Convoy’ support, continued

“This is unacceptable and extremely dangerous in any country that values free expression,” Trump added in the statement.

“TruthSocial is announcing today that we are welcoming the Freedom Convoy with open arms to communicate freely on TruthSocial when we launch – coming very soon! TruthSocial will fight back against Big Tech so we can protect our rights to free expression.”

He ended the statement with a jab at Facebook, writing, “Also, on top of everything, it is big news that Facebook daily users went down for the first time ever, people are tired of biased social media like Twitter and Facebook, and it’s showing in their numbers!”

Trump’s ‘Freedom Convoy’ support

Former President Donald Trump released a statement supporting the “Freedom Convoy” on February 4.

“Facebook and Big Tech are seeking to destroy the Freedom Convoy of Truckers,” he began.

“The Freedom Convoy is peacefully protesting the harsh policies of far left lunatic Justin Trudeau who has destroyed Canada with insane Covid mandates.”

“Now, thankfully, the Freedom Convoy could be coming to DC with American Truckers who want to protest Biden’s ridiculous Covid policies.”

He also claimed that Facebook is “canceling” the Freedom Convoy USA accounts, and added in the statement that GoFundMe is “denying access to funds that belong to the Freedom Convoy.”

MyPillow is sending pillows to protestors

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell announced plans to send pillows to the Canadian truckers that are protesting the vaccine mandates.

Lindell, who has been vocal about his support for former President Trump as well as other right-wing causes, called the protestors “brave” and encouraged them to not give up their fight in a conversation with the Right Side Broadcasting Network.

“All of our employees are busy making pillows right now for the truckers in Canada. We’re going to try and get them through. I’m not going to say what day or you know there will be obstructionists,” Lindell said.

Police cleared blockade

The bridge has been cleared by Canadian police and will most likely open up again soon, according to authorities.

“Today, our national economic crisis at the Ambassador bridge came to an end,” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, said this afternoon.

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

Trudeau: ‘It’s time to go home’

On Friday, Justin Trudeau spoke to the media and addressed protesters.

“The blockades are hurting small businesses and neighborhoods,” Trudeau said.

“The border cannot and will not remain closed. Everything is on the table because this unlawful activity has to end, and it will end.

“We’ve heard your frustration with Covid, with the measures that are there to keep people safe.

“We’ve heard you. It’s time to go home now.”

SUV driver hit protestors

A shocking video was released on February 5 of a driver allegedly plowed into a crowd of Freedom Convoy protesters, injuring four before fleeing the scene.

The 42-year-old was arrested after allegedly driving at speed into demonstrators at the Manitoba Legislature grounds on Friday, according to Canadian authorities.

What are the protestors calling for?

Protesters that are part of the “Freedom Convoy” have said they will not leave until all vaccine mandates and Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, according to the Associated Press.

The daily protests put on by the “Freedom Truck Convoy” are centered in Ottawa, Canada.

Some organizers have also been calling for weeks for the removal of Justin Trudeau’s government.

Windsor police warning

Canadian police warned in a tweet that there will be “zero tolerance” for criminal activity.

The authorities warned the public to avoid the area that protestors are occupying.

Ottawa Police establish Integrated Command Centre

The Ottawa Police Service announced an Integrated Command Centre (ICC) in conjunction with the Ontario Provincial Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to battle the ongoing Ottawa protester occupation.

“In downtown Ottawa, over 4,000 demonstrators were present throughout the day,” a statement from the Ottawa Police Service read.

“Safety concerns – arising from aggressive, illegal behaviour by many demonstrators – limited police enforcement capabilities.”

Police expect the ICC will result in “a significantly enhanced ability of our police service to respond to the current situation in our city.”

‘Another wrench in the industry’

The protest has reportedly led to some shipping delays as trucks have to travel to other locations to cross the border.

A delay of even five hours, for instance, can cause production disruptions because factories are running low on part supplies with a supply chain that is already dealing with problems, the Associated Press noted, citing Jeff Schuster, president of the LMC Automotive consulting firm in Troy, Michigan.

“Everything is so ‘just-in-time’ these days,” he said.

“We’re still dealing with parts shortages in general and supply chain issues. This is just another wrench in the industry that we’re dealing with right now.”

Vehicles towed

A tow truck was used to remove two parked pickup trucks at the foot of the bridge.

The Windsor police tweeted that vehicles are currently being towed, as well as a warning.

Police begin to clear protestors

Canadian police began arresting protestors this morning in an attempt to clear the Detroit-Canada bridge.

The arrests are the first major police action taken in this protest.

Hundreds of uniformed officers approached the crowds near Ambassador Bridge, warning the demonstrators that they could be charged with criminal mischief.

rotest could impact Super Bowl, continued

“The convoy will potentially begin in California as early as mid-February and arrive in Washington, DC, as late as mid-March, potentially impacting the Super Bowl LVI scheduled for 13 February and the State of the Union Address scheduled for 1 March,” the bulletin said.

The warning states that “the convoy could severely disrupt transportation, federal government, and law enforcement operations through gridlock and potential counterprotests,” Yahoo News reported.

DHS bulletin warns of impact on US

Trucker protests across the country could impact the biggest day of the year for many Americans – Super Bowl Sunday.

A DHS bulletin sent to local and state officials warned of “truck drivers planning to potentially block roads in major metropolitan cities in the United States in protest of, among other things, vaccine mandates for truck drivers”, according to Yahoo News.

Protesters remove fence at war memorial

In Ottawa, protesters dismantled a barricade that was erected around a war memorial.

Abigail Bimman, a reporter for Global National news in Canada, posted video of the protesters interacting with police.

“One officer told a fence dismantler that protection of the memorial was now their responsibility,” she wrote.

It’s unclear why protesters took down the fencing.

Gov Whitmer calls for end to blockade, continued

“Our communities and automotive, manufacturing, and agriculture businesses are feeling the effects. It’s hitting paychecks and production lines. That is unacceptable,” Gov Whitmer added in the lengthy statement.

“The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest land border crossing in North America, used by tens of thousands of commuters and truck drivers carrying hundreds of millions of dollars of goods every day.”

“Countless Michiganders rely on this daily flow of goods and people to get things done.”

“It is imperative that Canadian local, provincial, and national governments de-escalate this economic blockade. They must take all necessary and appropriate steps to immediately and safely reopen traffic so we can continue growing our economy, supporting good-paying jobs, and lowering costs for families.”