Trucker blockade knocks out Ford, Toyota and General Motors plants

Ford and Toyota on Wednesday both said they were halting some production as anti-coronavirus mandate protesters blocked US-Canada border crossings that have prompted warnings from Washington and Ottawa of economic damage. 
 

General Motors, joining the list of impacted automakers, said on Thursday it was forced to cancel two production shifts at a plant in Michigan.
 

Many pandemic-weary Western countries will soon mark two years of restrictions as copycat protests spread to Australia, New Zealand and France now the highly infectious Omicron variant begins to ease in some places. The bumper-to-bumper demonstration entered its fourth day on Thursday at the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit, disrupting the flow of auto parts and other products back and forth across the border.

The bridge is the busiest US-Canadian border crossing, carrying 25 per cent of all trade between the two countries. GM cancelled the second shift on Wednesday and the first shift Thursday at its midsize SUV factory outside Lansing, Michigan.

Toyota said it will not be able to manufacture anything at three Canadian plants for the rest of this week because of parts shortages.
 

Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, said all of its North American factories were running Thursday, but shortages because of the blockade forced it to shorten shifts at several plants.

Police arrest over 50 anti-vax protesters in New Zealand (Agencies)

Police and anti-vaccine protesters clashed on the grounds of New Zealand’s parliament on Thursday, with more than 50 arrested after demonstrators who camped outside the legislature for three days were ordered to move on. 

Activists chanted the Maori haka and yelled “hold the line” as they scuffled with a line of police moving to clear a makeshift settlement from the lawns of parliament.

Police moved in early Thursday after taking a hands-off approach to the first two days of protests, using loudhailers to warn a crowd of about 150 they faced arrest unless they left.