DETROIT (WWJ) - Michiganders have banded together to feed truckers who have been stranded in long lines as Canadian truckers continue to protest against COVID-19 mandates across the river.
Ann Rudisill, from Downriver for Veterans, was driving around with a car full of coffee and doughnuts Tuesday in support of the truckers who are stuck on the U.S. side of the Ambassador Bridge.
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"I wish I could give them a place to sleep and pay their gas -- I'm just so proud of them," Rudisill said to WWJ's Mike Campbell.
Canadian protests dubbed "Freedom Convoys" are challenging new COVID mandates for international truckers and have caused major problems for those crossing the bridge into Canada -- the Ambassador Bridge is North America's busiest trade crossing.
Under the new mandate, unvaccinated truckers coming from the US will be subjected to a COVID test and a 14 day quarantine -- the new rule started Jan. 15.
The U.S. adopted a similar rule that went into effect Jan. 22.
Protests have spread across the northern country after stating in Ottawa. Demonstrators in Windsor first started causing traffic delays on Friday, where a 45 minute wait was reported by WWJ's Claire Beverly. It has since escalated over the weekend, completely shutting down incoming traffic from Detroit -- the bridge closed Tuesday morning and is only open to U.S. bound traffic.
WWJ's Mike Campbell spoke with truckers who have been stranded while waiting in line since Monday.
"We don't have food I talked to other drivers and they are hungry and they're wait it out, hoping any minute now someone is going to say 'OK! Everything is back to normal', but it's not," Canadian trucker Terry Cone said.
"It's very frustrating."
Jason Warzecha, President of the Duty Free Shop at the Ambassador Bridge, said they hadn't been given a timeframe for when the bridge might reopen.
"We are sitting here, just like the drivers, just kind of taking it one minute at a time and here for each other," Warzecha said to WWJ's Mike Campbell.
Shawn Taffinder, the Director of Fuel Operations at the bridge, said they'll be slammed when the bridge reopens, but they're prepared.
"I feel all of our bays will be jammed full," Taffinder told WWJ's Mike Campbell. "These truckers are running on their gas and their fumes for hours, maybe days. We'll have to see what happens and we'll be ready for them."
Both Warzecha and Taffinder showed support for the stranded drivers by passing out sandwiches and water to truckers stuck in line.
Rony Chapa from Gary's Catering told WWJ's Mike Campbell that when she heard about the large back ups at the bridge, she knew she "had" to park her food truck to feed hungry drivers.
"I'm really excited to be helping them," Chapa said.
"These guys cannot not eat. A lot of these guys have been here since 5:30 yesterday, they were saying 6:30, so yes, I am really excited."
Rudisill said that she will continue to feed the driver's for as long as the bridge is closed and they remain stranded.
"It's sad, that they are losing pay, they're stuck, they're getting ticketed, but it's the right thing to do. I'll give them doughnuts and coffee if that's all we can do," Rudisill said.
If coffee and doughnuts run out, Rudisill said she would gladly get more.
One trucker told WWJ's Ryan Marshall he was in support of the protests because "everybody should have a choice."
"I believe the mandates they're trying to force on the people over there isn't right," he said. "I myself, I'm not vaccinated and I will never get vaccinated. I don't get sick. Even with that being said, I think that if you do get sick often, you should be able to get it. I just support what they're doing."
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