TORONTO - Canadian authorities Friday turned up the legal and public pressure on protesters to lift their blockades in Ottawa and at the U.S.
border, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warning: "This unlawful activity has to end and it will end."Federal, provincial and local officials moved simultaneously on different fronts to break the standoff, which began with truckers and others angry over the country's COVID-19 restrictions and has morphed into a broader attack from the right on Trudeau and his Liberal government, cheered on by conservatives in the U.S."We heard you.
It’s time to go home now," the prime minister said, warning that "everything is on the table" for ending the standoff.Since Monday, scores of drivers mostly in pickup trucks have bottled up the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit, disrupting the auto industry on both sides of the border.
Hundreds more truckers have paralyzed downtown Ottawa over the past two weeks.RELATED: Ambassador Bridge closure threatens automotive industry on both sides of the borderAs the Ambassador Bridge remains closed due to a COVID-19 mandate protest, an injunction has been sought to end it, FOX 2 News.In a rapid string of developments Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency and threatened heavy penalties against those who interfere with the free flow of goods and people.