Protesters continue to hold the main crossing point at Canada's border with the United States of America (US), despite a court ruling ordering them to leave.
The ban came into effect on Friday (February 11) at 19pm local time (one hour past midnight CET) to end days of protests.
Truckers block the Ambassador Bridge, a vital trade link between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan.
Protests by truckers against restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic continue at other border crossings and in the capital, Ottawa, which has been jammed with trucks for two weeks.
Earlier, the Canadian province of Ontario declared a state of emergency due to trucker protests paralyzing the capital and disrupting trade with the US, and Prime Minister Doug Ford vowed to do whatever it takes to end the blockades.
"We will take all necessary steps to ensure the border is reopened," Ford told a news conference, threatening heavy fines of up to C$100.000 ($80.000) and jail time if the protesters did not end their "illegal occupation."
"To the people of Ottawa under siege, I say we will make sure you can resume life and business as soon as possible."
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday, after talks with US President Joseph Biden, that the occupation of Ottawa and the blockade of vital trade links with the US must end.
"Everything is on the table because this illegal activity has to end and it will end," he told a news conference, refraining from sharing further details due to operational security.
The important Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario and the US city of Detroit is used by more than 40.000 commuters and tourists every day, along with trucks carrying an average of $323 million worth of goods per day - about a quarter of US-Canada trade.
Days of border blockages have already had a major impact, with several automakers forced to cut production as a result, sparking fears it could affect Canada's economic recovery from the pandemic.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under increasing pressure to bring the situation under control, and Washington is calling on its northern neighbor to use federal powers to end the blockades.
Ford, who faces an election in June, has also been under fire for days for his inaction to end the blockade.
The truckers' movement has grown in recent weeks into a broader protest against the Trudeau government's COVID-19 restrictions — and sparked solidarity rallies across the country and abroad.
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