Armoured vehicles spotted in Windsor are not related to recent protests at the border, the city’s police force says, a day after police say they “intercepted” a small convoy of trucks suspected of returning to the Ambassador Bridge.
Previously, the police had brought in some armoured vehicles as part of their enforcement to clear the protest blockading the border crossing.
In a post on Twitter, the Windsor police said the presence of armoured vehicles in Windsor, Ont., are “unrelated to the recent demonstrations and the current situation on Huron Church Road.”
The police shared another tweet posted by the 31 Canadian Brigade Group of the Canadian Armed Forces, which says that reserve units will be conducting driver training on the armoured vehicles in London and Windsor regions in the coming days.
The police’s clarification comes a day after Windsor’s mayor and city police say they have intercepted a convoy of trucks suspected of trying to once again blockade the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor.
“It was learned that this convoy had travelled from Ottawa and suspected that this combo was heading to Windsor. This convoy has since circled back travelling eastbound on [Highway 401],” Mizuno said.
Mayor Drew Dilkens said law enforcement “successfully intercepted” the convoy before they returned to the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit.
Windsor police said on Feb. 16 they will continue to open up traffic on as many streets as possible, but didn’t commit a timeline to fully reopen the main roads leading to the Canada-U.S. border crossing.
“We would like to open up traffic access to all residents who need access to Huron Church Road, and we will do so as soon as we can,” Mizuno said.
She also noted that the police will continue to update the public on the traffic situation and provide maps to advise of any temporary obstructions.
