Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday that the “lockdowns” were “unacceptable” and had “a negative impact on the Canadian economy”, on the 13th day of a protest movement against health measures in the country.
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“The blockades, the illegal demonstrations are unacceptable” and have “a negative impact for our businesses, our manufacturers”, lamented the head of government before the deputies while the capital Ottawa and certain essential trade routes have been paralyzed for several days.
“We must do everything to put an end to it,” insisted Mr. Trudeau.
Originally dubbed the “freedom convoy”, this movement was aimed at protesting against the decision to force truck drivers to be vaccinated to cross the border into the United States. It has since become a general protest against health measures as a whole and against the government.
For three days, protesters have also blocked the Ambassador Bridge, which connects the city of Windsor in Canada to Detroit in the United States.
This bridge is crucial for the automotive industry, but also for American hospitals which employ many Canadian nurses: it sees some 40,000 people pass through it every day and for 323 million US dollars worth of goods.
“The blockade puts the supply chains, the auto industry, at risk because this bridge is a key channel,” said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki, adding that President Biden’s team was in “close contact” with Canadian and US border authorities.
“The interruption of the movement of essential goods and services on the Ambassador Bridge is already having enormous consequences for Canadian industry and workers”, regretted Bill Blair, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, during a press briefing. .
Nearly 5,000 factory workers in the region were sent home on Wednesday due to “criminal actions” by protesters, he said.
The demonstrators “break the law” abounded his Public Security counterpart Marco Mendicino, indicating that factories could have to close as early as Wednesday afternoon.
“Very concerned” about the economic consequences for the region, Drew Dilkens, the mayor of Windsor, a city of 200,000, has asked for reinforcements to end the protests.
Thousands of miles away, demonstrators again blocked the Coutts border crossing in Alberta (west) as well as the surroundings of the Winnipeg parliament in Manitoba (center).
Listen to Mario Dumont’s interview with Pablo Rodriguez on QUB Radio
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com