An Ontario Superior Court Justice has accepted an application from the City of Windsor to clear a blockade near the Ambassador Bridge.
Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz granted the injunction Friday afternoon, following a hearing that lasted over four and half hours. The decision was confirmed by Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
Injunction granted. Judge ruled that protestors must leave by 7:00 p.m.
— Drew Dilkens (@drewdilkens) February 11, 2022
The injunction was set to take effect at 7 p.m., to allow those in the area a chance to leave.
WindsorNewsToday.ca went to the scene of the protest Friday afternoon and spoke to Andrew, one protestor who does not believe the injunction will change things too much.
“I think the people that you’re seeing here today, the people that you’ve seen throughout the whole protest, are here for the long haul,” he said. “It’s been two years that we’ve been suppressed, and so a few days isn’t going to hurt anything else.”
When asked about the economic impact the protest has had on the region, Andrew, who would not give his last name, called it a small sacrifice.
“I think that the damage or this impact is actually going to change their minds,” he said. “I think something had to be done. How long was this going to go on for if we didn’t do this?”
The City of Windsor, along with automotive associations from both Canada and the United States, requested the injunction Thursday after several days of protests resulted in Canada-bound traffic on the Ambassador Bridge being reduced to a trickle, and U.S.-bound traffic diverted to another bridge entrance or the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel. The plaintiffs in the case argued that the protests caused a massive disruption in trade between the two countries. However, the plaintiffs argued that the truckers’ right to peacefully protest was protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The defence submitted several items, including testimony from a truck driver who argued that if the injunction was granted, it would only say to truckers that they can set up somewhere else.
Windsor police sent an open letter to demonstrators soon after the injunction was granted Friday afternoon.
“We are providing notice that anyone blocking streets or assisting others in the blocking of streets may be committing a criminal offence and must immediately cease further unlawful activity or you may face charges,” read the letter in part. “You could be arrested if you are a party to the offence or assisting others in the direct or indirect commission of this offence. Vehicles or other property related to an offence may be seized. Once a vehicle is seized, it may be detained and, following a conviction, possibly forfeited. Charges and/or convictions related to the unlawful activity associated with the demonstration may lead to denial in crossing the USA border.”
—with files from Maureen Revait
