A vital US-Canadian border crossing reopens after trucker blockade of Ambassador Bridge is cleared

North America's busiest land border crossing has reopened after a nearly weeklong blockade by protesters decrying Covid-19 mandates crippled the key trade route, while demonstrators in the nation's capital are expected to begin shifting out of residential areas Monday.

The standoff at the Ambassador Bridge, which links Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, had paralyzed traffic between Canada and the United States. Its reopening allows "the free flow of commerce between the Canada and US economies once again," the Detroit International Bridge Company said in a statement Sunday night.

Protesters with the "Freedom Convoy" in recent weeks also have gridlocked Ottawa's downtown core and impeded border crossings at Alberta and Montana, Manitoba and North Dakota, and British Columbia and Washington state.

Their grievances stem from Canada's new mandate requiring truckers to either be fully vaccinated when crossing the Canadian-US border or face a two-week quarantine. Others have joined nationwide to rally against mask mandates, lockdowns, restrictions on gatherings and other coronavirus preventative measures.

Windsor Police on Sunday started arresting protesters blocking the Ambassador Bridge. Up to 30 protesters had been arrested, most of whom were charged with "criminal mischief," Windsor Police Chief Pamela Mizuno said Sunday afternoon.