Michiganders show solidarity, rally with Canadians at major bridge crossings

Yahoo

26-04-2025

Once again, protesters gathered for a rally at Hart Plaza in Detroit in a show of solidarity with Canadians across the border in Windsor. The April 26 rally in Detroit, organized by the activist groups We The People Dissent and Indivisible, was one of three rallies in Michigan at Canadian-American bridge crossings to include demonstrators on both sides of the border, along with Port Huron and Sault Ste. Marie.
The protest marked another weekend of demonstrations in Michigan, where residents have taken to the streets in protest for weeks, in contrast to the results of the 2024 election, where Donald Trump won the state by a bit more than 80,000 votes.
In Detroit, speakers and protesters were focused on building unity between the U.S. and Canada amid fraying relations, while speaking about Trump's proposed tariff policies.
Throughout the afternoon, an estimated 350 people collectively waved from Hart Plaza to Canadians demonstrating on the Windsor Riverfront. They sang 'O Canada,' listened to speeches and cheered as one member of the crowd, Michael Hatch of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, performed an indigenous dance.
Chantel Watkins, a 34-year-old Detroiter running for Detroit City Council District 5, spoke to the crowd about building unity among working people in the city.
"(Workers) want to keep their job, they want to be able to participate in the economy,' Watkins said to the Free Press after her speech.
'The biggest thing that we really want to do is not only support workers, but support all Americans because tariffs are gonna come down and affect us all,' Watkins said.
In recent months, the Trump administration has proposed tariffs that would affect the automotive industry. On April 22, a group of U.S. auto industry representatives urged Trump not to impose his proposed 25% tariffs on imported auto parts, warning they would cut vehicle sales and raise prices.
Trump has indicated that he plans to impose those tariffs no later than May 3.
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To Watkins, she hopes her representative can step in to prevent these tariffs (and an active 10% tariff on all imported Canadian goods), which she says will hurt Michiganders.
'I hope that all of our senators and U.S. representatives are hearing everyone,' Watkins said. 'Because they're the ones who have the first line of defense when it comes to the ability to talk to Trump and to fight for the world that the people of Michigan want.'
In Port Huron, hundreds of people lined up under the Blue Water Bridge.
Yoopers Unite, an organization of Upper Peninsula residents, and Lake Superior Indivisible organized the event, coordinating events at three locations. Blue Water Indivisible, which only recently became active, worked with the Lake Superior branch to arrange the gathering.
Martha Fitzgerald, a Marquette native who was born in Port Huron, said the organization decided to act because they felt Canada had been unfairly targeted by tariffs and Trump's insistence the country become the 51st U.S. state.
"In early March, when the rhetoric was so severe regarding their sovereignty, we decided to act," Fitzgerald said.
Marcello Asaro, who joined the protest with his mother, Geri, said he felt it was important to support Canada due to the years of friendship between the two countries.
"I think we have to look out for our neighbors," Marcello Asaro said. "We need to remember who helped us in our times of need."
Several of those present at the Bridge of Friendship gathering said they had friends and family who live in Canada, and that the tariffs have affected those relationships.
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Bonnie Havlicek, of Edmore, said her niece is married to a Canadian citizen and that her friends and family used to regularly cross the border without incident. She has not been to Canada since November, and she said she has heard from family that entering the U.S. has become more of a hassle.
"You don't treat friends and family this way," Havlicek said.
Fitzgerald, who herself has 18 cousins living in Canada, said it was important for both Canadians and other Americans to see there were people willing to speak out against the president's statements.
"If you sit alone and just stew, it doesn't help anything," Fitzgerald said. "When we get together and share our beliefs, it helps. Taking action, marching together is good for our physical and mental health, and hopefully for our democracy too."
Contact Johnathan Hogan at [e-mail]. Contact Liam Rappleye at [e-mail]
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Hundreds gather at Michigan-Canadian bridge crossings for rallies