Canada protesters, police deadlocked as tensions simmer at border bridge

Protesters interact with police officers, who stand guard Ambassador Bridge, Windsor, Ontario, Canada Feb 12 REUTERS  

Ontario, Feb 13 Reuters-A tense standoff between Canadian police and protesters opposing COVID-19 restrictions was set to continue on Sunday, as a court order and threats of arrest failed to end a blockade of a key Canada-U.S. border crossing.   

Protesters in trucks, cars and vans have blocked traffic at the Ambassador Bridge, North America’s busiest land border crossing in both directions, choking the supply chain for Detroit’s car makers.   

Despite a court order to end the occupation and a state of emergency imposed by the province of Ontario, police have failed to disperse the crowd and resume cross-border traffic.   

The “Freedom Convoy” protests, started in capital Ottawa by Canadian truckers opposing a vaccinate-or-quarantine mandate for cross-border drivers, entered its 17th day on Sunday. But it has now morphed into a rallying point against broader COVID-19 curbs, carbon tax and other issues, with people joining in cars, pick-up trucks and farm vehicles.