Freedom Convoy: Ambassador Bridge to re-open soon now that police have cleared out protesters

Police cleared protesters from Ontario's Ambassador Bridge on Sunday morning, and the bridge is likely to re-open soon, CBC reports.

Demonstrators protesting Canada's COVID-19 restrictions continued to block the Ambassador Bridge early Sunday morning, impeding the flow of international trade for the seventh consecutive day.

The protesters chose not to disperse after a judge ordered them to leave the bridge Friday night, though several vehicles departed and others were towed away. Police moved in Saturday morning, but more protesters arrived on foot to — at least partially — maintain the blockade.

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At around 7 a.m. on Sunday, police began to advance onto the bridge. Several people were arrested. By roughly 9:30 a.m., the area was clear.

According to The Washington Post, Windsor, Ontario, Mayor Drew Dilkens said he hoped the bridge would re-open by the end of the day. A Canada Border Services Agency spokesperson said the agency is "working collaboratively with law enforcement partners to restore normal border operations at affected ports of entry as quickly as possible."

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

Detroit automakers have been forced to slow down production in recent days due to the reduced flow of parts from Canada, a situation Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) described to CNN as "an economic crisis."

Protesters continue to block a border crossing in Manitoba while others occupy the downtown core of Ottawa, the capital.