Trucker protest 2022 LIVE – Convoy may disrupt Super Bowl as video shows border build-up & Biden urges Canada to end it

Was a state of emergency declared?

Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency due to the blockades in Ottawa.

Ford said that drivers who refuse to stop blocking bridges and border crossings could face a year of jail time and fines of up to $100,000.

The action is in the interest of “protecting the safe and essential movement” of emergency services, public transit, local roadways and pedestrian paths.

Footage shows shutdown on Ambassador Bridge

A Twitter user shared footage from the Ambassador Bridge, which links Detroit, Michigan to Windsor, Ontario.

The video shows lines of trucks along the road before, on and after the bridge.

Trudeau’s tweets, conclusion

Trudeau also set forth a bipartisan call to take parliamentary action against the blockades.

“Finally, I briefed the leaders of the opposition parties on the current situation and the latest developments.

“I stressed how important it is for all Members of Parliament, from every party, to denounce these illegal acts – and to call for an end to these blockades,” the Prime Minister concluded.

Trudeau’s tweets, part two

Trudeau also spoke to Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens about the occupation of the Ambassador Bridge.

“We’re committed to helping the Mayor and the province get the situation under control,” Trudeau said on Twitter.

“It is causing real harm to workers and economies on both sides of the border.”

Justin Trudeau posts series of tweets

In a series of tweets, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talked about the action he’s taking against “illegal blockades and occupations” happening across Canada.

“First, I convened an Incident Response Group meeting with ministers and officials,” Trudean wrote.

“We’ll continue to work closely with municipal and provincial governments to end these blockades, and to make sure they have the resources they need.”

Gov Whitmer calls for end to blockade, continued

“Our communities and automotive, manufacturing, and agriculture businesses are feeling the effects. It’s hitting paychecks and production lines. That is unacceptable,” Gov Whitmer added in the lengthy statement.

“The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest land border crossing in North America, used by tens of thousands of commuters and truck drivers carrying hundreds of millions of dollars of goods every day.”

“Countless Michiganders rely on this daily flow of goods and people to get things done.”

“It is imperative that Canadian local, provincial, and national governments de-escalate this economic blockade. They must take all necessary and appropriate steps to immediately and safely reopen traffic so we can continue growing our economy, supporting good-paying jobs, and lowering costs for families.”

Gov Whitmer calls for end to blockade

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer called on Canadian authorities to shut down the blockade on the Canadian side of the Ambassador Bridge in a statement released on Thursday.

“My message is simple: reopen traffic on the bridge,” she wrote in a statement shared to Twitter and reported by Fox10 Phoenix.

“In Michigan, our economy continues to grow because of our hardworking people and innovative small businesses. Now, that momentum is at risk.”

“Commercial traffic is at a standstill at the Ambassador Bridge and heavily backed up at the Blue Water Bridge,” she added. “The blockade is having a significant impact on Michigan’s working families who are just trying to do their jobs.”

Supporters bring fuel cans to blockade

In Ottawa, supporters of the “Freedom Convoy” brought cans of fuel to the truck drivers forming the blockades.

The rush of support came after providing fuel to the drivers was apparently outlawed.

European ‘Freedom Convoy’ targets Brussels

According to an infographic circulating on Twitter, European truck drivers are planning a convoy in solidarity with Canadian drivers.

The convoy hopes to arrive in Brussels on February 14.

The protest’s stated goals include the “right to travel freely without interference,” the “right to choose your own health decisions” and the “right to conduct business freely.”

The infographic emphasizes that the protest is meant to be peaceful.

European ‘Freedom Convoy’ targets Brussels

According to an infographic circulating on Twitter, European truck drivers are planning a convoy in solidarity with Canadian drivers.

The convoy hopes to arrive in Brussels on February 14.

The protest’s stated goals include the “right to travel freely without interference,” the “right to choose your own health decisions” and the “right to conduct business freely.”

The infographic emphasizes that the protest is meant to be peaceful.

‘It’s happening, folks’

One investigative journalist on Twitter said a Freedom Convoy in the United States will kick off in late February.

“This evening, a conference call was held between a number of organizers to hammer out logistics of a ‘freedom convoy’ through the United States, heading to D.C,” Justin Ling wrote.

“It’s happening, folks. Rigs and bikers are leaving from California to Washington in late February.”

‘Looking for confrontation’

“I know many are just saying have the police go in there and move everyone out and restore law and order. And that’s sensibly what we all want to see happen,” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told CNN in an interview on Wednesday.

“The problem is you have a number of folks who are looking for confrontation. You have people who have expressed themselves in the media saying that they believe this is a cause that they are willing to die for.”

‘At least talk to us’

CNN spoke to some of the truckers in Ottawa who said they could consider leaving if Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would speak to them directly about their issues.

“These gentlemen, these guys over in that building and they can just come out and show some respect and you know, at least talk to us,” said one driver who identified himself as Doran, who was parked in front of Canada’s parliament.

When could the convoy reach Washington, DC?

Although the DHS public safety alert issued on Tuesday noted the possible dates for the American version of Canada’s trucker “Freedom Convoy” could line up with the Super Bowl, another source told Yahoo News that was not likely.

The DHS source told the outlet the convoy isn’t likely to reach DC until late March or early April.

Department of Homeland Security ‘concerned’ by protests

“At this time, we have no indication that individuals discussing participating in these activities in the United States are engaged in anything other than First Amendment–protected activity,” a DHS alert from February 8 stated, as reported by Yahoo News.

“Nonetheless, DHS remains concerned that these events could have significant public safety implications or potentially be exploited by ideologically motivated actors to potentially act or encourage others to act violently.”

‘We have learned from our mistakes’

Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly said police are doing everything they can to contain the tense situation in the Canadian city.

“Police are doing everything within the power under the Police Services Act – and as resourced under that legislation,” said Sloly.

“We have learned from our mistakes and are committed to doing better. All available officers are deployed; 60 more officers will be deployed shortly.”

Protestors reportedly attacked, continued

Police noted that the Headingly, Manitoba, resident faces several charges including four for assault with a weapon for the alleged attack.

It’s unclear what the driver’s motive was, but Carver said “He wasn’t really for or against either of the general views.”

“Some comments he made after his arrest suggested that his motivation was not specifically about the underlying causes of the protests or the mandates,” said Carver.

Protesters were reportedly attacked in Canada

Shocking footage captured the moment a driver allegedly plowed into a crowd of Freedom Convoy protesters, injuring four before fleeing the scene.

The 42-year-old was arrested after allegedly driving at speed into demonstrators at the Manitoba Legislature grounds on Friday, February 4, according to Canadian authorities.

“A 42yr old male is facing charges after driving through a group of protesters that were part of the Freedom Convoy at the Legislative grounds,” the Winnipeg Police tweeted on Saturday. “4 adult males were struck.”

The suspect, driving a Jeep Patriot, was chased down by police and arrested after he tried to flee.

“(The vehicle) was moving at a pretty decent clip and it’s pretty miraculous that nobody sustained any serious injuries,” said police spokesperson Rob Carver on Saturday as reported by the Winnipeg Sun.

Three of the injured protesters did not need medical attention, and a fourth was released after being treated at the hospital.

Situation ‘could change quickly’

The DHS document notes that as of its release back on February 8, the US trucker convoy “appears to be purely aspirational because the event is only being discussed online.”

But it also warns that “this could change quickly.”

The document is marked unclassified and for official use only, according to Yahoo News.

Protest could impact Super Bowl, continued

“The convoy will potentially begin in California as early as mid-February and arrive in Washington, DC, as late as mid-March, potentially impacting the Super Bowl LVI scheduled for 13 February and the State of the Union Address scheduled for 1 March,” the bulletin said.

The warning states that “the convoy could severely disrupt transportation, federal government, and law enforcement operations through gridlock and potential counterprotests,” Yahoo News reported.

Protest could impact Super Bowl

Trucker protests across the country could impact the biggest day of the year for many Americans – Super Bowl Sunday, which is coming up this weekend.

A DHS bulletin sent to local and state officials warned of “truck drivers planning to potentially block roads in major metropolitan cities in the United States in protest of, among other things, vaccine mandates for truck drivers”, according to Yahoo News.

Some protestors organize on Facebook

Some of the protestors for the upcoming demonstrations in the United States are organizing on social media networks like Facebook, according to Politico.

“Our brothers and sisters of the highway succeeded in opening Canadians’ eyes about the unconstitutional mandates and hardships forced onto their people,” organizers of The People’s Convoy event said on their Facebook page.

“Now it’s time for the citizens of the United States of America to unite and demand restoration of our constitutional rights.”

The page has almost 60,000 members.

General Motors cancels shift due to parts shortage

General Motors announced Wednesday evening that the company would cancel the second shift at its Delta plant in Lansing.

Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said that blockades can do serious damage to supply chains, a local Fox outlet reported.

“I’ve already heard from automakers and food grocers,” Alghabra said.

“This is really a serious cause for concern.”

Teamsters Canada statement, continued

“We firmly believe in the right to protest government policies and voice a wide array of opinions, but what is happening in Ottawa has done more harm to Teamsters members, be they Truck Drivers who were trying to deliver their loads, or hotel, restaurant and healthcare workers who were intimidated, abused or prevented from accessing their workplaces, by several protesters,” the statement continued.

“Teamsters Canada would welcome collaboration with government and employers to address today’s real challenges in the trucking industry to keep the supply chain going and Canada’s economy growing.”

“We join in the calls urging those protesters with legitimate concerns to go back to their own communities and work with local politicians.”

“We are all frustrated and want our lives back, however, let’s ensure we get there respectfully, safely, and protect the health of our most vulnerable first.”

Teamsters Canada statement

François Laporte, the president of Teamsters Canada, a trade union that represents over 55,000 drivers that include 15,000 long-haul truckers, released a statement about the protests on February 7 on the organization’s website.

“Teamsters Canada is proud to represent over 55,000 professional drivers from diverse industries across the country, approximately 15,000 of which are long haul truck drivers, 90% of whom are vaccinated,” the statement began.

“The so-called ‘freedom convoy’ and the despicable display of hate lead by the political Right and shamefully encouraged by elected conservative politicians does not reflect the values of Teamsters Canada, nor the vast majority of our members, and in fact has served to delegitimize the real concerns of most truck drivers today.”