Using trucks to block the busy highway leading from Canada to Detroit, Canada’s COVID-19 protests completely stopped the flow of commuters between the two countries on Monday.
Traffic created by the protesting truckers began building on the I-75 at around 3 pm on Monday, after which Detroit officials were forced to close the Ambassador Bridge at around 8 pm as traffic became snarled, leaving thousands of truckers stranded. The Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor, carries around 27 percent of all trade between the U.S. and Canada.
Source: Axios (Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Known as the “Freedom Convoy,” the demonstration that has brought chaos to Ottawa since late last month, has threatened to spread well beyond the country’s borders.
Worried that the traffic issues could create supply chain issues, Chuck Lippstreu, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association told The Detroit News, “Any delay or disruption in the supply chain creates problems, not just for agriculture but the state economy.”
Aerial footage showed Ambassador Bridge congested with trucks backed up along the crossing Tuesday. It is unclear how many of those trucks were participating in the demonstration and how many had simply been blocked from moving forward. As of early Wednesday morning lanes going into Canada remained partially closed, according to the Canada Border Services Agency’s website.
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