The Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit, Michigan, to Windsor, Ontario, was the site of a recent six-day protest. As the citizens of Canada start to become restless regarding COVID-19 restrictions, more protests are being organized across the country and are only increasing in intensity.
The protest, known as the “Freedom Convoy,” set out with a goal to relieve truck drivers from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate as they travel back and forth between the US and Canadian borders. However, it quickly turned into a protest against all COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions in the country. While not all protestors were unvaccinated, they stood against job and travel restrictions imposed upon the unvaccinated.
The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest trade route between the US and Canada. Therefore, when truck drivers decided to create a blockade along the bridge, the Canadian economy took quite a blow. With 50-75 vehicles stopping traffic on the bridge, an estimated $383 million to $1 billion was lost as a direct outcome of the blockade.
Since no trade imports were able to enter through the bridge, this caused car factories surrounding the border to be shut down and businesses having to lay people off. A parts supplier in Ontario was forced to lay off half of their employees since they were unable to receive the raw materials usually transported through the Ambassador Bridge. Economists are concerned that the damage done to the economy may continue to have effects for years to come.
During the protest, the people who weren’t directly participating in the blockade tried offering their support through the fundraising site GoFundMe. However, after receiving $7.8 million in donations, GoFundMe removed the page and required an application form to be filled out for refunds.
When this didn’t go well with the contributors, GoFundMe sent automatic refunds to their accounts but never reopened the fundraising page. As an alternative, a Christian fundraising site called GiveSendGo started a fundraising page to support the protestors. They have achieved more than $9 million in donations.
BBC was able to interview some of the protestors and hear their pieces on why the COVID-19 mandates were able to spark such a huge demonstration, “This is not an anti-vax movement; this is a freedom movement. It’s for choice,” says Justin Smith.
A woman, Ms. Lawrence, spoke about the future of her children: “I want my kids to go into a store and see a smile on someone’s face. That’s the saddest thing.”
Supporters of the Freedom Convoy have voiced their concerns on the COVID-19 restrictions, and the police pushed back with arrests, tows, and threats.
“I was hoping it wasn’t going to end like this, I was hoping the police would allow us to continue to peacefully protest,” Tyler Kok said.
By the end of the blockade, 46 protestors on the bridge were arrested and 37 vehicles were taken.
Although this protest did not change any of Canada’s mandates just yet, it inspired the beginning of many protests across the globe. Only time will tell whether these demonstrations will lead to changes in COVID-19 mandates.
