The protest against sanitary measures is not weakening in Canada.

The demonstrators were indeed still thousands on Saturday in the streets of Ottawa and continued to block a strategic border bridge with the United States despite the intervention of the police and especially despite the establishment of the state of emergency.

The movement, which is entering its third week, has also inspired beyond the borders, especially in Paris where, despite the ban on the demonstration, thousands of opponents of the vaccine pass marched.

In addition, for the first time, the police took position in large numbers near one of the hot spots of the dispute: the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Windsor in Ontario to the American city of Detroit.

The day before, the Superior Court of Ontario had ordered the departure of the demonstrators who had been there for five days.

An important bridge for trade

The blocking of this essential axis prompted Washington to intervene with the government of Justin Trudeau.

And the latter had promised Friday increased police repression because the “borders cannot remain closed” and the state of emergency was declared in Ontario.

But at the start of the evening, the police had still not managed to completely free the bridge after hours of face-to-face with the demonstrators.

The goal is to defuse the situation "peacefully" and through mediation, said Jason Bellaire of Windsor Police.

No arrests were made immediately.

The closure of this bridge is causing serious concern on both sides of the border and has already caused disruption to the automotive industry.

More than 25% of the goods exported between the United States and Canada transit there.

Two other border axes are also blocked: the first in the province of Manitoba, while the second is located in Alberta.

Saturday, the crowd was once again at the rendezvous in the streets of the federal capital Ottawa, epicenter of the movement.

Starting from the departure of truckers opposed to the vaccination obligation to cross the border with the United States, the protest has extended to broader claims against all health measures but also against the government of Justin Trudeau.

The latter was strongly criticized by the opposition for his inaction.

The Prime Minister judges for his part that it is a “marginal and noisy minority”.

But in a country where health measures are in most provinces more restrictive than elsewhere in the world, the movement has received wider popular support than anticipated by the authorities.

According to a poll, a third of Canadians support the movement and 44% of those vaccinated understand “the cause and the frustrations conveyed by the protesters”.

Society

“We are not going to bend to their orders forever, we have obeyed enough” according to the demonstrators of the “freedom convoy”

Society

A demonstration against the vaccine pass degenerates in the city center of Montpellier

  • United States

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