Convoy protest expected Saturday at Peace Bridge; local law enforcement monitoring - WGRZ.com
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Local law enforcement has said it is aware of and monitoring plans that a convoy-style protest will be headed for the Peace Bridge on Saturday.
"We have met to discuss what is planned for this weekend," Buffalo Police Deputy Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said Friday.
The Facebook group Convoy to the Peace Bridge has the group traveling from Tonawanda to Buffalo, with the trip starting at 11 a.m. The group is said to be responding in solidarity with the protestors in Windsor, Ontario, who have been blocking the Ambassador Bridge to Detroit for five straight days, and who have so far defied a court order to leave by 7 p.m. Friday.
"We met with a whole lot of partners, stakeholders that are involved in this, so we're looking to see what may be planned," Gramaglia said.
He added that Buffalo Police will be ready to redirect traffic if it's impacted by Saturday's demonstration. Gramaglia said police have information on "where they're going to meet, what routes they're coming from," but added that a lot is not known.
"A lot is unknown, so we'll be working to address it quickly if possible and get resources where they need to be," Gramaglia said.
New York State Police has also said it will be monitoring the protest and added in a statement Thursday they "are prepared to deploy whatever resources necessary to ensure public safety."
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz also tweeted Friday, saying an interagency command center has been convened.
My team is monitoring the Canadian truck protest situation on New York’s northern border. We have convened an interagency command center to ensure we are prepared for any impacts to New Yorkers.
— Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) February 12, 2022
When asked on Friday for comment about the protest, a Buffalo Customs and Border Protection spokesperson referred 2 On Your Side's inquiry to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As of the posting of this article, DHS has not responded.
Law enforcement and area transportation agencies are preparing for whatever possible issues may arise from any truck protests at the Peace Bridge. @ErieCountyESU is assisting those agencies as needed. We are also concerned about possible traffic spillover to city streets.
— Mark Poloncarz (@markpoloncarz) February 12, 2022
When asked about how Canadian and U.S. Customs plan to jointly respond to protestors at border crossings, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cited operational details and said only that the two countries would work together.
source: https://www.wgrz.com/article/traffic/convoy-protest-expected-saturday-at-peace-bridge-law-enforcement-monitoring/71-029d0943-1169-4951-8b95-2abeedb9f6de
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