The Ambassador Bridge, connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, reopened Sunday after six days of blockage caused by a group protesting COVID-19 policies, Reuters reports. The bridge is crucial to trade between the U.S. and Canada, and its closure caused Ford, General Motors, and Toyota to cut production due to supply shortages. On Sunday, Windsor Police made arrests and seized vehicles involved in the protest after an admonition from a Canadian minister that the police’s inaction was “inexplicable.” Before the situation was resolved, federal officials had also discussed invoking the Emergencies Act, which would have allowed the federal government to become more active in thwarting the protests. In addition to arrests, Ontario police took steps to curtail fundraising for the protest, freezing money sent via the giving platform GiveSendGo. Police said funding came partly from U.S. sources.
Since the beginning of the “Freedom Convoy” protests 18 days ago, demonstrators have disrupted trade at border crossings in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario, as well as traffic on the streets of Ottawa. While the protests began in response to mandates for unvaccinated cross-border drivers to quarantine upon arrival, protesters are railing against other governmental regulations, including carbon taxes. The convoy protests have prompted widespread outrage. Counter protests have taken place in Ottawa, with some blocking vehicles bound for the convoy. Protests have also sprung up in Europe, where a convoy took to the streets of Paris before leaving for Brussels on Sunday morning.