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WORLD NEWS Friday 11 February 2022
Truckers' bridge blockade forces shutdowns at auto plants

By ROB GILLIES and TOM Ontario, north of Toronto,
KRISHER had to suspend produc-
Associated Press tion on one assembly line
TORONTO (AP) — The truck on Wednesday, but that
blockade by Canadians it was back in operation
protesting the country's Thursday.
COVID-19 restrictions is Stellantis, formerly Fiat
tightening the screws on Chrysler, said it was forced
the auto industry, forcing it to shorten shifts at several
Ford, General Motors and plants.
other car companies to Michigan Gov. Gretchen
shut down plants or other- Whitmer urged Canadian
wise scale back production authorities to quickly re-
on both sides of the U.S. solve the standoff at the
border. bridge.
The bumper-to-bumper "It's hitting paychecks and
demonstration by the self- production lines. That is un-
proclaimed Freedom Con- acceptable," she said in a
voy entered its fourth day statement.
Thursday at the Ambas- Hundreds of demonstrators
sador Bridge connecting in trucks have also para-
Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit, lyzed the streets of down-
disrupting the flow of auto town Ottawa for almost
parts and other products A trucker supporter sits on a couch as they block the access leading from the Ambassador Bridge, two weeks now and main-
between the two countries. linking Detroit and Windsor, as truckers and their supporters continue to protest against the CO- tained blockades at two
Meanwhile, the U.S. VID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions in Windsor, Ontario, on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. border crossings besides
braced for the possibility of Associated Press Windsor — at Coutts, Al-
similar truck-borne protests berta, opposite Montana,
inspired by the Canadi- California as early as this that have been calling on company's assembly plant and at Emerson, Manitoba,
ans, and authorities in Paris weekend, possibly disrupt- drivers to converge on Paris in Oakville, Ontario, near across from North Dakota.
and Belgium banned road ing traffic around the Super starting Friday night and to Toronto, were operating at The protesters are decry-
blockades to head off dis- Bowl, and reach Washing- continue on to Brussels on reduced capacity, the au- ing vaccine mandates for
ruptions there, too. ton in March in time for the Monday. tomaker said. truckers and other COV-
The U.S. Department of State of the Union, accord- The Ambassador Bridge is On the U.S. side, GM can- ID-19 restrictions and railing
Homeland Security said in ing to a copy of Tuesday's the busiest U.S.-Canadian celed the second shift on against Prime Minister Jus-
a bulletin to local and state bulletin obtained by The border crossing, carrying Wednesday and the first tin Trudeau, even though
law enforcement agencies Associated Press. It said 25% of all trade between shift on Thursday at its SUV many of Canada's precau-
that it has received reports that the protest could be the two countries, and the factory outside Lansing, tions, such as mask rules
that truckers are planning disruptive and tie up traffic effects of the blockade Michigan. and vaccine passports for
to "potentially block roads but that there have been there were felt rapidly. Toyota said it will not be getting into restaurants,
in major metropolitan cit- no calls for violence. Ford said its Windsor, Ontar- able to manufacture any- theaters and other places,
ies" in a protest against The ban on road block- io, engine plant reopened thing at three Canadian were enacted by provin-
vaccine mandates and ades in Europe and the Thursday after being shut plants for the rest of the cial authorities, not the fed-
other issues. threat of prison and heavy down on Wednesday be- week because of parts eral government, and are
The agency said the con- fines were likewise prompt- cause of a lack of parts. shortages. Honda report- rapidly being lifted as the
voy could begin in Southern ed by online chat groups But the factory and the ed that its plant in Alliston, omicron surge levels off.q

Denmark may allow U.S. troops on its soil, pact in the works

HELSINKI (AP) — Denmark eration deal "is a break- Danish broadcaster TV2
says it will begin negotia- through after many de- said the Danish govern-
tions on a new defense co- cades" of a policy against ment is seeking to strike
operation agreement with allowing foreign troops to a similar kind of defense
the U.S. that may include be stationed on Danish soil, deal with Washington as
allowing American troops she told Danish media. neighboring Norway did in
and military equipment to "An increased American May 2021. Both Scandina-
be stationed on Danish soil commitment here in Den- vian countries are staunch
— in reversal of a decades- mark will improve the ac- NATO allies of the U.S.
old policy. But Danish Prime cess of the United States to With its treaty with Washing-
Minister Mette Frederiksen the European continent," ton, Norway has allowed
stressed to reporters Thurs- Frederiksen said, as quoted unhindered access to U.S.
day that the move is not by Danish public broad- troops that can move free-
due to current tensions be- caster DR. ly in and out of the coun-
tween Russia and Ukraine. Danish Defense Minister try. However, they must
She said talks on intensify- Morten Boedskov told re- respect Norwegian law,
ing military cooperation be- porters that no American meaning — among other Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, center, Foreign
tween Copenhagen and military bases would be es- things — that the U.S. can- Minister Jeppe Kofod, left and Minister of Defense Morten Boed-
Washington have been in tablished in Denmark, and not send nuclear weapons, skov, right, give a press conference on Denmark's cooperation
the works for a long time. he declined to comment landmines or cluster bombs with the United States, in the Prime Minister's Office at Christians-
The potential new Danish- on where U.S. troops would with its soldiers to Norwe- borg Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark, Thursday Feb. 10, 2022.
American defense coop- be placed in the country. gian soil.q Associated Press