Judge outlines reasons for extending injunction barring protesters at Ambassador Bridge

Protesters on Huron Church Road near the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., on Friday, Feb.11, 2022. (Bob Bellacicco / CTV Windsor)

The Superior Court Judge who barred demonstrators from the Ambassador Bridge cited evidence of planned future protests in the area as among his reasons for extending the court injunction. 

On Friday, Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz granted an extension to a temporary injunction that would stop protesters from forming or blocking traffic to and from the Ambassador Bridge indefinitely.

Morawetz outlined the reasons for his decision on Tuesday.

Pointing to a potential truck convoy on Feb. 15 that was intercepted by Windsor police, Justice Morawetz agreed there was evidence protesters continued to plan to block roadways approaching the bridge, as well as police monitoring of social media which identified calls for protesters to regroup, despite a previous court order.

Some messages included “it’s not over,” “we are not done” and “civil war time,” Morawetz’s endorsement said.

Some of the protesters cited constitutional freedom, but Morawetz ruled the Charter is no licence to break the law or defy an order of the court.

He also noted that municipal bylaws nor the injunction granted on Feb. 11 prevent protesters from lawfully expressing their message and exercising their Charter rights.

After Morawetz issued the temporary injunction,  protestors who made up the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge were given notice by police.

What followed was a weekend with dozens of arrests, multiple towed vehicles a continued police presence in the area, and the reopening of the Ambassador Bridge on Sunday.

Morawetz granted the extension of the injunction based on the following:

• The city asserts that protesters defied the court order of Feb. 11 with numbers increasing and peaking at between 600 to 800 individuals the next evening
• Police arrested 43 individuals on charges of mischief and/or disobeying a court order on Sunday.
• Protesters continued to violate city bylaws with 28 tickets issued for bylaw infractions and at least seven vehicles were towed from the protest area
• Protesters have continued to breach municipal bylaws including noise, parking, idling, and traffic bylaws
• Evidence protesters plan to continue to protest on roadways leading to the bridge
• Police successfully intercepted a convoy of several transport trucks from Ottawa, with the suspected intention of heading to Windsor
• As a result of the continued threat of a new blockade, police continue to control traffic flow on Huron Church Road to protect access to the bridge.

In his ruling, Morawetz determined a permanent injunctive order is warranted.

Based on his assessment of the evidence a time-limited injunction which was suggested by counsel to The Democracy Fund and Citizens for Freedom, would not provide the necessary assurances to the city and its residents.

 - With files from CTV Windsor's John Lewis and Rich Garton.