Canada: ‘Freedom Convoy’ Anti-Vaccine Protests Force Ford Plant Closure

Trucker blockades in the capital of Canada and at border crossings with the United States, including an economically vital bridge into Detroit, forced the closure of a Ford plant on Wednesday, with the company noting there could be large-scale effects for the North American auto industry.

Meanwhile, the prime minister Justin Trudeau He remained firm in his stance not to relax the restrictions imposed by the pandemic despite mounting pressure from protesters, who are seeking an end to such restrictions and the departure of Trudeau.

LOOK: Trudeau says blockade of US border crossing threatens Canada’s economy

The blockade, carried out mainly by people aboard vans, entered its third day in the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ont. Vehicle entry was blocked Canadawhile the traffic to the United States continued to circulate.

25% of all trade between Canada and the United States passes through this bridge, and Canadian authorities express growing concern about the economic effects.

• “We are not leaving”, say the anti-vaccines who sow chaos in the Canadian capital defiantly
• “Freedom Convoy”: How anti-vaccines have paralyzed Ottawa and put Trudeau in check
• Protests in Canada continue and provinces decide to ease restrictions due to COVID-19

Ford said Wednesday afternoon that a shortage of auto parts forced the closure of its engine factory in Windsor. and to cut operating hours at an assembly plant in Oakville, Ontario.

“This disruption to the Detroit-Windsor Bridge hurts auto industry customers, workers and suppliers, communities and companies on both sides of the border.”Ford stated in a statement. “We hope that this situation will be resolved quickly because it could have a large-scale impact on all automakers in the United States and Canada.”

The shortage caused by the blockade also forced General Motors to cancel the second shift of the day at its truck factory medians near Lansing, Michigan. Speaker Dan Flores said they expect to resume operations on Thursday and no additional impact is anticipated in the meantime.

Protesters against covid-19 coronavirus vaccine mandates sit on a sofa as they block the road at the Ambassador Bridge border crossing in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on February 9, 2022. (GEOFF ROBINS/AFP)

Later on Wednesday, Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin reported that the company will be unable to manufacture anything at three Canadian plants for the rest of the week due to a shortage of auto parts.. A statement from the automaker attributed the problem to challenges related to the supply chain, the weather and the pandemic, but the closures came just days after the lockdowns began.

“Our teams work diligently to minimize the impact on production”, The company pointed out, adding that at the moment the dismissal of personnel is not planned.

Stellantis, formerly known as Fiat Chrysler, reported normal operations on Wednesday, although it was forced to cut shifts at its minivan plant in Windsor the day before.

A growing number of Canadian provinces have decided to lift some of their prevention measures as coronavirus cases decline, but Trudeau defended the restrictions the federal government has put in place, including one that has upset several truck drivers: a rule that went into effect on January 15 that requires truck drivers entering Canada to be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19.

“The reality is that vaccination mandates, and the fact that nearly 90% of Canadians turned up to get vaccinated, have ensured that this pandemic has not hit as hard here in Canada as it has in other parts of the world,” Trudeau said in Parliament.

Police barricade parked trucks as part of a protest against COVID-19 coronavirus measures in downtown Ottawa. (Photo: AP). (Adrian Wyld/)

Protesters have also been blocked for a week and a half at the Coutts, Alberta, border crossing, where about 50 trucks were on Wednesday. And more than 400 trucks have paralyzed downtown Ottawa, Canada’s capital, in a protest that began late last month.

Although protesters have called for Trudeau’s ouster, most of the restrictive measures in the country have been put in place by provincial governments. Among them is the requirement to present “passports” showing vaccination status in order to enter restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and sporting events.

Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia this week announced plans to lift some or all of their measures. Alberta, Canada’s most conservative province, immediately scrapped its vaccination passport and will get rid of the mask requirement at the end of the month.

Alberta Opposition Leader Rachel Notley accused the province’s Premier, Jason Kenney, of allowing “an illegal lockdown to dictate public health measures.”

Protests continued in Alberta despite plans to roll back the measures.

“There are people here who have lost everything because of these mandates, and they will not give up, and they are willing to stand their ground and continue until we make it,” said protester John Vanreeuwyk, operator of a feedlot farm in Coaldale, Alberta. .

“We will not move until Trudeau is gone,” he said.

_________________________________

• They kill el Koki, one of the most wanted and dangerous criminals in Venezuela
• The Playboy bunny who married an 89-year-old rich man and was left without an inheritance
• Who was the Koki, the dangerous criminal boss of Cota 905 who was shot down by the Venezuelan police
• Simon Leviev, the “Tinder scammer” accused of stealing millions from several women he met on the dating app
• Hunting Pablo Escobar’s hippos, a “necessary option” to control his invasion in Colombia
• Unusual: they find the body of an old Italian woman on a chair two years after her death

Source: Elcomercio