Freedom Convoy: Police move in to clear protesters from Ontario's Ambassador Bridge

Canadian police moved in Saturday morning to remove protesters and end a five-day blockade of Ontario's Ambassador Bridge, The Associated Press reported.

A Canadian judge on Friday ordered protesters to stop obstructing the bridge, which they had blocked with their vehicles to protest Canada's COVID-19 restrictions.

The order went into effect at 7:00 p.m. Friday, after which police were empowered to arrest anyone who remained and seize their vehicles. Despite these threats, the protesters refused to comply, voting instead to "[l]eave our cars here, park them, get out, stand in front of the intersection, lock arms, no one's going nowhere," as one demonstrator put it.

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Some vehicles reportedly left overnight, however, while others abandoned the bridge as police moved in. According to CNN, by 10:00 a.m. there were only around 20 protester vehicles remaining. No arrests have been reported.

Ambassador Bridge connects Detroit, Michigan, with Windsor, Ontario. The bridge is responsible for about a third of U.S.-Canada trade, The New York Times notes.