Protesters block U.S-Canada border, Ford,Toyota halt some production

Auto giants-Ford and Toyota companies have said they were halting some production as anti-coronavirus mandate protesters blocked U.S-Canada border crossings that have prompted warnings from Washington and Ottawa of economic damage. Horn-blaring protests have been causing gridlock in the capital Ottawa since late January and from Monday night, truckers shut inbound Canada traffic at the Ambassador Bridge, a supply route for Detroit's carmakers and agricultural products.Another border crossing, in Alberta province in Canada, has been closed in both directions since late on Tuesday. More than two-thirds of the 511 billion US dollars in goods traded annually between Canada and the United States is transported by road.

Many pandemic-weary Western countries will soon mark two years of restrictions with similar protests spreading to Australia, New Zealand and France. Protesters say they are peaceful, but some Ottawa residents have said they were attacked and harassed. In Toronto, streets were being blocked. The issue has caused a sharp split between the ruling Liberals and the opposition Conservatives, many of whom have expressed open support for the protesters in Ottawa and accuse Trudeau of using the mandates issue for political purposes.