Protesters close International Bridge for about 75 minutes

The International Bridge was closed for about 75 minutes late this afternoon, apparently due to today's sovereignty protest by citizens of Garden River and Batchewana First Nation against the harmonized sales tax.

City Police were called to the bridge around 4:45 p.m. and SooToday.com's Carol Martin reports that traffic started moving around 5:05 p.m.

No official statements about the incident have been released, but here's what we understand happened: - A large convoy of vehicles, including a bus, participated in today's tax protest, filling much of the parking lot at the Michigan Soo Wal-Mart.

- Canadian customs officers indicated they were prepared to seize the vehicle of an elder who refused to pay duty.

- At this point, 40 or 50 protesters joined hands and blocked the Canadian side of the bridge.

- CTV travelled with the convoy and shot video of the blockade that will be aired tonight. One SooToday.com reader phoned us from the bridge to express her frustation at being stuck there with her teenaged boy, who has autism. "If he doesn't get his medication, he gets aggressive," she said.

The reader said she allowed plenty of time to get back to the Ontario Sault, but became alarmed when someone told her that she might be on the bridge for as much as five hours.

Her teen could become quite agitated if unmedicated and not allowed to eat at the proper time, she said.

If you have first-hand information about this afternoon's activity at the bridge, please call our newsroom now at 705-941-0664.