Premier Doug Ford says that he will use legal means to protect critical infrastructure against protest blockades
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has declared a provincewide state of emergency in an effort to bring the ongoing trucker protests in Ottawa to an end.
Under the state of emergency, Ford plans to take legal action against protestors who participate in blockades along international border crossings, 400-series highways, bridges, maritime ports, airports, and railways within Ontario.
“I will convene cabinet to use legal authorities to urgently enact orders that will make crystal clear it is illegal and punishable to block and impede the movement of goods, people, and services along critical infrastructure,” he said on Friday morning.
Punishments for non-compliance will be severe. Individuals who violate the new orders could face fines of $100,000 as well as up to a year in prison.
Just over two weeks ago, protestors arrived in Ottawa to decry the COVID-19 vaccine mandate aimed at truckers. They have remained encamped in the city since, blocking traffic within Ottawa’s downtown core.
Solidarity protests have been cropping up across the province, most notably in Windsor, where the Ambassador Bridge has been blockaded. The bridge, which links Windsor to Detroit, is one of the busiest border crossing points in the country and serves as a critical trade point between Canada and the United States.
Protests first blocked Ambassador Bridge on Monday, and it continues to be occupied as of Friday morning.
Ford made direct reference to the Ambassador Bridge blockade in his announcement, describing it as an “illegal occupation” and promising to bring it to an end. Ford confirmed on Thursday that the province has filed for an injunction that would prevent protestors from blocking the bridge.
Moreover, in addition to announcing a state of emergency, the province of Ontario has also successfully petitioned the Superior Court of Justice to freeze the donations that the protestors have raised through the online Christian fundraising site GiveSendGo. As of Thursday, the two main fundraising campaigns posted to the site had amassed a combined $9 million USD in donations.
Though public opinion on the protests has been mixed overall, responses to Ford’s newest measures appear to be largely negative so far. The early results of a quick poll posted by CTV News on Friday regarding Ford’s decision to declare a state of emergency suggest that the majority of respondents (currently about 70 per cent) oppose the measures.
This is a developing story with more information to come. Stay tuned for further updates.
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