‘It’s time to go home’: Justin Trudeau tells truck protesters

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a stern warning to protesters who have set up truck blockades to express their opposition to government mandates regarding COVID-19, saying, “We’ve heard you. It’s time go home now.”

“You don’t want to end up losing your license, end up with a criminal record, which will impact your job, your livelihood, even your ability to travel internationally, including to the US,” Trudeau said Friday.

“We’ve heard your frustration with COVID, with the measures that are there to keep people safe. We’ve heard you. It’s time to go home now.”

Trudeau’s remarks came as Ontario’s premier declared a state of emergency in reaction to the border blockade, and a judge in the province issued an injunction ordering truckers to clear an international bridge by 7 pm local time (midnight GMT) on Friday. Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened heavy penalties against those who interfere with the free flow of goods and people.

Ford said he will convene the provincial cabinet on Saturday to enact orders that make it “crystal clear it is illegal and punishable to block and impede the movement of goods, people and service along critical infrastructure”.

“Let me be as clear as I can – there will be consequences for these actions, and they will be severe,” he said in a Friday announcement.

“This is a pivotal, pivotal moment for our nation.”

Truckers have slowed or halted border transit, causing parts shortages that shut down car plants in both the United States and Canada.

Trudeau spoke with US President Joe Biden on Friday about the border obstructions, saying they “are having significant direct impacts on citizens’ lives and livelihoods”, White House Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

Trudeau “promised quick action in enforcing the law,” the White House said.

A demonstration that began in January as a convoy travelling across Canada in protest against COVID-19 vaccination requirements for truckers crossing the US-Canada border has morphed into broader complaints about the Liberal government and attracted proponents of the anti-vaccination movement.

Demonstrators have shut down the centre of the Canadian capital, Ottawa, with more than 400 vehicles blocking streets.

“I call it a siege because that is what it is. It’s an illegal occupation. This is no longer a protest. With a protest, you peacefully make your point and you go back home,” Ford said.

The Ontario leader pledged new legal action against protesters, including fines of up to 100,000 Canadian dollars ($78,000) and potential jail time for non-compliance with the government’s orders.

The city of Windsor, on the US border, had sought the injunction against members of the self-proclaimed “Freedom Convoy” who have used dozens of trucks to bottle up the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor to the US city to Detroit.

Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz of the Ontario Superior Court said during a virtual hearing that the order would give protesters time to leave. Windsor police immediately warned that demonstrators blocking the streets could be subject to arrest and their vehicles may be seized.

The blockade has cost Canada’s automotive industry hundreds of millions of dollars, the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association said in a court filing.

Federal, provincial, and local authorities have hesitated to forcibly remove the protesters, reflecting a lack of resources by local police, Canada’s reverence for free speech, and fears of potential violence. But pressure to open the border crossings is mounting, with automakers Ford, General Motors, Toyota and Honda closing plants or cancelling shifts.

The Biden administration has urged Trudeau’s government to use its powers to end the blockade. Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday called on Canadian authorities to quickly resolve the standoff.