Protesters walk onto highway near Peace Bridge in Fort Erie, Ont., decrying vaccine mandates

At first, it seemed police prevented protesters from accessing the Fort Erie border crossing Saturday morning, after they blocked vehicles on the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) from driving toward it. 

A convoy of protesters opposed to COVID-19 public health measures and vaccine mandates had plans to drive toward the Peace Bridge — Canada's third-busiest border crossing — in Fort Erie, Ont., and mirror ongoing demonstrations in Windsor and Ottawa.

But the stream of cars and pick-up trucks driving down the QEW avoided the closed-off lanes, diverting from their original destination and driving around town instead.

Hundreds drove their vehicles around Fort Erie for several hours Saturday, honking their horns and making noise. Many stayed near Lakeshore Road, Niagara Boulevard and the Mather Arch.

Others continued to the bridge on foot. Roughly 70 people, including children, walked onto the QEW as police stood by. Some adults tried to stop transport trucks and other vehicles from continuing into Canada.

"It's a movement of people across Canada who are tired of the mandates dictating and governing their lives," said Karen Primmer, a Fort Erie resident who was waiting for protesters to arrive.

"If it does turn into a complete blockage of traffic for our supply lines, I'd say I still support that ... in order for things to change, things need to get uncomfortable."

The actions were noisy and visible across several streets in the area, with vehicles flying Canadian flags parked on the sides of roads and in nearby parking lots, but not close to the disruption of border activities that has occurred at Windsor's Ambassador Bridge. 

At the Peace Bridge, police kept one lane open for incoming traffic as protesters stood on the highway. Vehicles travelling through the area drove close to the protesters, but no one was hit. The protesters sang the national anthem, played music, linked arms and chanted.

Members of the group declined interviews with CBC Hamilton when asked why they decided to stand on the highway.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) spokesperson Kerry Schmidt deferred questions about potential fines to Niagara police.

Niagara police didn't immediately respond to requests for comment, but said in an online statement Saturday its priorities were were keeping people safe and maintaining peace. It also said "it is expected that all participants will follow the Criminal Code of Canada and the Highway Traffic Act."

Mayor 'relieved' to see how protest unfolded

Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop told CBC Hamilton protesters who walked onto the QEW need to respect other people's rights and be mindful of how dangerous that is.

Despite that, the mayor said he was "relieved" to see how things unfolded, given he was expecting 350 vehicles heading toward the border. The number of vehicles involved was difficult to estimate as many were scattered throughout the area. 

"It wasn't as bad, I think, as the truck convoy participants were hoping for and certainly wasn't as bad as it could've been, but don't underestimate the fact there was a lot of planning ... that went into ensuring the border wasn't obstructed and that people had the ability to move around my community," Redekop said.

By Saturday evening, some protesters were still working to create a disruption near the Peace Bridge, but local police are there, according to the mayor. He also said the QEW was expected to re-open soon, but will be under watchful eye of local authorities.

There were also protests across the border in Buffalo on Saturday, but demonstrators didn't get near the crossing. Redekop said based on what he knows, an American protest is slated for Sunday but has no plans to block the Peace Bridge. Pennie Fay, an organizer for Sunday's U.S. actions, told CBC Hamilton protesters won't be approaching the bridge.

Ottawa, Windsor protests persist

The Saturday event in Fort Erie follows an ongoing blockade in Windsor, despite the granting of an injunction by a judge on Friday, and more than two weeks of protest in Ottawa. The Ontario government declared a state of emergency Friday as a result of the actions. 

The crowd of protesters continued to grow Saturday at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, where vehicles have been blocking traffic at the crucial border crossing into the U.S.

In Ottawa, police say that although all available officers have been deployed, they are awaiting reinforcements in order to enact a plan to end the convoy occupation now made up of thousands of demonstrators.

The protests continue to be widely condemned, with Unifor, the country's largest private sector union, issuing a statement on Friday.

"Unifor firmly believes the right to protest is an essential part of our democracy. However, with every passing day, the actions associated with this movement pull away from that fundamental right," read part of its statement.

"Further, and for too long, governments at all levels have ignored the threat posed by far-right organizations that seek to infiltrate legitimate workers' movements and advance messages of hate and division," it said. 

Ontario Big City Mayors, an alliance comprised of mayors of Ontario cities with populations of 100,000 or more, also issued a statement.

"Public disorder and lawlessness must end. Workers are being laid off, critical industries such as the auto sector are disrupted, residents are being forced to leave their homes, and illegal and dangerous actions are continuing," read its statement.

"Experts are now suggesting that the economic impacts on goods and services could last for months, and we believe Ontario businesses have suffered enough."