WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th February, 2022) The city of Windsor in the Canadian province of Ontario on Wednesday requested additional police to be deployed to deal with peaceful protesters blocking traffic at the Ambassador Bridge on the border with the United States, Mayor Drew Dilkens said on Wednesday.
"While we are hopeful the situation can be resolved in the near term, we need to plan for a protracted protest and have requested additional personnel to be deployed to Windsor to support our hard-working members of the police service," Dilkens said during a press briefing.
While the situation is unusual, the authorities do not consider extraordinary measures and are trying to solve the situation without taking additional law enforcement steps, he said.
Dilkens did not rule out the possibility that a police response can escalate the situation and emphasized that the authorities are not considering a state of emergency.
"It is not required. Declaring a state of emergency will not do anything to change the situation," he added.
Windsor Police Chief Pamela Muzino said during the press briefing that law enforcement will conduct investigations and take all other essential measures at the appropriate time.
"The action that we take will prioritize our public safety and keeping the peace," Munzino said.
Canadian state broadcaster CBC news reported that the bridge was blocked by protesting truckers and other Canadians on Monday night. The protesters, who seek COVID-19 vaccine mandates removed, have halted access to Canada and are keeping one lane open for those traveling into the United States, according to the report.
The wave of protests across Canada began in January, with tens of thousands of truckers, farmers and other demonstrators converging on Ottawa to demand the removal of vaccine mandates. The protest has since evolved into an anti-government demonstration, with additional various groups of citizenry uniting in opposition to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
