Windsor mayor testifies Monday in probe into use of emergency law to clear out ‘Freedom Convoy’ protesters

The Mayor of Windsor, Ontario, today at a public hearing about the federal government’s use of emergency laws to clear out “Freedom Convoy” protesters who have blocked streets and several border crossings around the Capitol. I testify

Scheduled testimony from Drew Dilkens, hours before the law was announced, was public safety minister Marco Mendi, who sought the mayor’s assistance with “additional authority” to keep the Ambassador Bridge open. It came out as proof that Chino and he exchanged texts.

A summary of the exchange is included in the timeline submitted by the City of Windsor to the Public Order Emergency Committee prior to today’s hearing.

Protesters denouncing the COVID-19 order traveled to the Ambassador Bridge on the night of February 7, sounding alarm bells on both sides of the bridge that connects Windsor and Detroit.

Hundreds of millions of dollars of trade is carried across the bridge every day, and the city has been hit hard under the temporary shutdown, especially because of the auto industry, he said.

Police, armed with court injunctions, eventually cleared protesters who refused to leave, and the bridge reopened to traffic in the early hours of February 14.

According to the city’s timeline of events, Mendicino texted Dilkens later that morning about the situation.

“Mayor Dilkens asks if federal government is taking action on (regarding) emergency law,” reads Timeline.

“To the extent that we can help additional authorities provide Windsor with the resources they need to maintain the bridge and keep people safe, that’s great,” the minister said.

On the afternoon of February 14, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an unprecedented state of emergency law to be invoked to deal with the “Freedom Convoy” protests.

A central question facing the investigation is whether the Trudeau administration was justified in using the emergency law to wipe out last winter’s demonstrations. We will hear public testimony from witnesses until November 25th.