Canadian protest impacts border north of Blaine

The border crossing into Blaine was impacted on Saturday as Freedom Convoy protesters on the Canadian side demonstrated against Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

KIRO 7 saw disruptions on the road to the Pacific Highway border crossing.

The Washington State Patrol said passenger vehicles going north were diverted to the nearby Peace Arch crossing.

Commericial traffic was diverted to the Sumas border crossing.

More than 2300 miles away, where the Ambassador Bridge links Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, protesters withdrew their vehicles after a tense standoff on the bridge. However, access remained blocked while other demonstrations ramped up in cities across Canada, including the capital, where police said they were awaiting more officers before ending what they described as an illegal occupation.

On Friday, a judge had ordered an end to the blockade of mostly pickup trucks and cars, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency allowing for fines of 100,000 Canadian dollars and up to one year in jail for anyone illegally blocking roads, bridges, walkways and other critical infrastructure.

The Freedom Convoy protests began more than two weeks ago and have severely slowed international trade, causing auto plants on both sides to shut down or reduce production this week.

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