Key US-Canada bridge reopens after arrests

A key bridge connecting the U.S. and Canada reopened on Sunday after authorities arrested more than two dozen protesters.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens announced that the blockade infiltrating the Ambassador Bridge, which links the Canadian city with Detroit, had come to an end after a judge intervened.

Operations at the bridge resumed late Sunday night, according to The Associated Press, which was almost one week after protesters demonstrating against COVID-19 mandates and other pandemic-related restrictions in Canada had blocked the passageway. The bridge shuttered operations on Feb. 7.

Between 25 and 30 protesters were detained by authorities in Windsor on Sunday, and a number of vehicles located near the bridge were towed, according to the AP.

The blockade forced automakers to reduce or cease productions, adding to existing shortages and supply chain problems.

Dilkens said the end of the Ambassador Bridge blockade marked the conclusion of a “national economic crisis.”

“Today, our national economic crisis at the Ambassador bridge came to an end. Border crossings will reopen when it is safe to do so and I defer to police and border agencies to make that determination,” he said in a statement.

“I want to offer my sincere thanks to all law enforcement personnel involved for their determined, yet compassionate approach to the occupation,” he added.

The mayor also said that while “Canada is nation that believes in the right to freedom of speech and expression,” the country is “also bound by the rule of law.”

“As Canadians, there is more that unites us, than divides us and we must all find the resolve to approach those who hold different views with tolerance and respect. Illegal acts, blockades and hate speech must not be tolerated and should be denounced,” he added.