Police in Windsor, Ont. work to clear Ambassador Bridge protest

Slowly but surely, police in Windsor, Ont. are moving in on demonstrators at the entrance to the Ambassador Bridge.

“The OPP and the rest of our partners that are down here dealing with this are doing it in the safest manner possible. We've gone through all the steps that we can go through to try and resolve this peacefully through diplomacy, negotiation, and we're still working on that, we're still prioritizing human life, human safety, everybody, including the demonstrators, and we will get through this,” said Windsor police Deputy Chief, Jason Bellaire.

Just after 8 a.m. on day six of protests against COVID-19 mandates, police officers showed up on buses and fanned out across the base of the bridge.

Plain clothed officers began talking to those in vehicles asking them to leave, with about 10 passenger vehicles and three transport trucks leaving the scene to the cheers of other demonstrators.

As the last transport truck pulled away, the line of police officers began advancing forward with a larger gathering of demonstrators meeting police at the intersection of Huron Church Road and College Avenue.

Many people in the area are using megaphones and chanting “freedom!” and hurling insults at police.

• IN PHOTOS: Supporters of Ottawa's 'Freedom Convoy' rally in Windsor causing the closure of the Ambassador Bridge

When asked what his message is to protesters, Bellaire said he wants them to know that they’ve done their job in trying to send their message.

“And I think the message now is changing and it's morphed into something maybe that they didn't want it to be. But what I would ask them to do is, they have the power to stop this right now. They have the power to listen to the officers that are down there. The officers in good faith have negotiated through this entire ordeal, and I would ask them for everybody's benefit our local community, our international community and for their own well being, I'd ask them to stop...there have been no arrests so far.”

Bellaire goes on to say there have been no arrests so far.

An Ontario Superior Court judge granted an injunction to remove the demonstrators, which went into effect at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford also declared a state of emergency and protesters who refuse to comply may face fines up to $100,000 and up to a year in prison.

The Ambassador Bridge, the busiest crossing in North America, has been closed since Monday due to the protest.

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