Ambassador Bridge closed to traffic by protestors demanding end to COVID-19 mandates

As Windsor Police deal with the closure of the Ambassador Bridge tonight, there are rumblings on social media that protestors may do the same again in Sarnia.

This afternoon, trucks and personal vehicles supporting with the trucker’s convoy parked in front of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa blocked the Ambassador Bridge. Essex OPP said this evening that both sides of the bridge were closed. They gave no indication when the road might reopen.

On social media tonight, David Buurma – a Petrolia resident who farms and owns agribusinesses near Watford – was looking for people who would be interested in blocking the bridge again. He was and one of the people who organized the protest Sunday which led to the closure of Highway 402 and the Bluewater Bridge.

Buurma was asking for people with tractors to join a protest, although he added “we don’t have a time and schedule yet.”

And on the convoy’s Sarnia social media page, there was also a call to action to block the Bluewater Bridge. “Folks we need to move in and work side by side with our brothers and sisters in Windsor… we need to show the government we are not playing.”

Sarnia-Lambton MP Marilyn Gladu voiced concern Monday about the possibility of further protests which would block the international border. She called on all levels of government and police to work together to make sure it would not happen again.

Gladu said there were “some very worrisome rules, rumours at this point that the people who were involved in the Ottawa protests….that were not allowed in after a certain point in Ottawa – that they’ve turned around and that they’re coming down to Sarnia and Windsor bridges to continue freedom protests here.”

“Everybody supports people’s right to protest peacefully, but we cannot have what has happened in Ottawa happen in our community. And we just need to work together – all levels of government and the police – to make sure that that doesn’t happen,” says Gladu.

The protests in Windsor and Sarnia are in support of the truckers convoy which has been parked in Ottawa for 12 days. It was organized by Canada Unity. It’s stated goal is to have the senate and governor general remove the current government from office, remove all COVID-19 protocols and restore jobs to those who had left their work after choosing not to get a COVID-19 vaccine.