"Unifor firmly believes the right to protest is an essential part of our democracy. The protests continue to be widely condemned, with Unifor, the country's largest private sector union, issuing a statement on Friday. Ontario declares state of emergency in response to convoy protests.Police stand by as anti-mandate protests continue to grip Ottawa.Protest crowd remains on Ambassador Bridge after police clear out part of blockade.In Ottawa, police say that although all available officers have been deployed, they are awaiting reinforcements in order to enact a plan to end the convoy occupation now made up of thousands of demonstrators. The crowd of protesters continued to grow Saturday at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, where vehicles have been blocking traffic at the crucial border crossing into the U.S. The Ontario government declared a state of emergency Friday as a result of the actions. The Saturday event in Fort Erie follows an ongoing blockade in Windsor, despite the granting of an injunction by a judge on Friday, and more than two weeks of protest in Ottawa.
actions, told CBC Hamilton protesters won't be approaching the bridge. Redekop said based on what he knows, an American protest is slated for Sunday but has no plans to block the Peace Bridge. Pennie Fay, an organizer for Sunday's U.S.
There were also protests across the border in Buffalo on Saturday, but demonstrators didn't get near the crossing. He also said the QEW was expected to re-open soon, but will be under watchful eye of local authorities. (Bobby Hristova/CBC)īy Saturday evening, some protesters were still working to create a disruption near the Peace Bridge, but local police are there, according to the mayor. Roughly 70 people, including children, walked onto the QEW Saturday, as police stood nearby. that went into ensuring the border wasn't obstructed and that people had the ability to move around my community," Redekop said. "It wasn't as bad, I think, as the truck convoy participants were hoping for and certainly wasn't as bad as it could've been, but don't underestimate the fact there was a lot of planning. The number of vehicles involved was difficult to estimate as many were scattered throughout the area.
It also said "it is expected that all participants will follow the Criminal Code of Canada and the Highway Traffic Act." Mayor 'relieved' to see how protest unfoldedįort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop told CBC Hamilton protesters who walked onto the QEW need to respect other people's rights and be mindful of how dangerous that is.ĭespite that, the mayor said he was "relieved" to see how things unfolded, given he was expecting 350 vehicles heading toward the border.
Niagara police didn't immediately respond to requests for comment, but said in an online statement Saturday its priorities were were keeping people safe and maintaining peace. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) spokesperson Kerry Schmidt deferred questions about potential fines to Niagara police. Members of the group declined interviews with CBC Hamilton when asked why they decided to stand on the highway. The protesters sang the national anthem, played music, linked arms and chanted. Vehicles travelling through the area drove close to the protesters, but no one was hit. xC7PfKjf6l- actions were noisy and visible across several streets in the area, with vehicles flying Canadian flags parked on the sides of roads and in nearby parking lots, but not close to the disruption of border activities that has occurred at Windsor's Ambassador Bridge.Īt the Peace Bridge, police kept one lane open for incoming traffic as protesters stood on the highway.