Authorities on Saturday morning pushed back Freedom Convoy protesters blocking the Ambassador Bridge and demanding an end to COVID vaccine mandates within the nation.
Video from Rebel News showed the moment Canadian authorities pushed back a crowd of protesters, some of whom began loudly honking in response from their trucks.
“Remember your oath,” one protester is heard shouting. Others can be heard telling police to remove their masks and show the world “who you are.” “Freedom” and “F*** Trudeau” were also heard being shouted.
It’s unclear if anyone was hurt during the efforts to breakup the protesters, who were peaceful and reportedly playing hockey the night before authorities showed up.
The Detroit Free Press reported on the protest crackdown Saturday morning:
Four or five pickups belonging to protesters left voluntarily about 8:45 a.m., honking their horns as they drove away from the protest on Huron Church Road. An hour later, the semis pulled out, blasting their air horns as they went. A crowd of people on foot remained.
About 9:50 a.m., a line of police began walking slowly toward them, prompting a few more to leave.
The departures came after a beefed up police presence formed about 8:15 a.m. and was accompanied by a school bus, four other municipal buses and a van labeled “offender transport.” Four large pickup trucks with City of Windsor logos on the side also were on the scene.
Notably, protesters are facing harsh penalties for remaining on the bridge — including fines up to a whopping $100,000 and a year behind bars.
“There will be consequences for these actions, and they will be severe,” Ontario premier Doug Ford announced during the week, accusing protesters of “sieging” Ottawa.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered his own threats, too, announcing Thursday that he will do “whatever it takes” to crack down on protesters blocking passages along the U.S.-Canada border, The Daily Wire reported.
“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the Incident Response Group on the ongoing illegal blockades taking place across the country that are threatening trade, jobs, the economy, and our communities,” a statement from the PM’s office said. “He was joined by ministers and senior officials who are actively engaged and working closely with provincial and municipal governments, and who are assessing the requirements and deploying all federal resources necessary to help them get the situation under control.”
“The group committed to continue providing federal resources to support enforcement efforts in Ottawa where the occupation has significantly disrupted local residents’ lives, impacting businesses and families with harassment, threats of violence, and vandalism,” Trudeau’s office added. “They reiterated that the federal government has and will continue to respond to all requests for appropriate support and resources.”
WATCH:
LIVE FROM AMBASSADOR BRIDGE – Police descend upon blockade https://t.co/ZrXN9zpdYb
— Isabelle Rivo (@isabellerivo) February 12, 2022
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