Canada hit by new rail, road barricades following arrests of indigenous protesters
Supporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs march as part of protests against British Columbia's Coastal GasLink pipeline, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi
Protesters in Canada blocked train lines, Vancouver's port entrance and at least one highway on Tuesday in response to the arrest of 10 indigenous activists when police dismantled a rail barricade in southern Ontario a day earlier.
On Monday, police arrested some of the Tyendinaga Mohawk campaigners who had shut down the line in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en from British Columbia, who seek to stop construction of a gas pipeline over their land.
Supporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs march as part of protests against British Columbia's Coastal GasLink pipeline, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi
Demonstrators mounted a new rail blockade late on Monday night at a junction of three busy Canadian National Railway lines near Hamilton, southwest of Toronto, but left by about 5 p.m. (2200 GMT) on Tuesday, police said.
Hamilton police spokeswoman Jackie Penman said officers were inspecting the area, adding it was up to rail firms to decide when services would resume. The blockade closed four stations on Metrolinx's GO Transit passenger line to Toronto from Hamilton.
Earlier in the day, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said the impact of the blockades was unacceptable.
Supporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs pass by CN Rail as they march as part of protests against British Columbia's Coastal GasLink pipeline, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi
The standoff between authorities and the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs, who have been battling the gas line for a decade, has grown increasingly tense as aboriginal bands and climate activists across Canada take up their cause.
The protests are testing Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's pledge to reconcile Canada with its indigenous groups, who face higher levels of poverty and violence and shorter life expectancies than the national average.
Many Canadians are growing frustrated, and that is giving a boost to Trudeau's Conservative rivals, whose support is at 36% compared with 33% for the Liberals, according to a Nanos poll completed on Feb. 21 and published on Tuesday.
Supporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs march as part of protests against British Columbia's Coastal GasLink pipeline, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi
British Columbia police said they arrested 14 people overnight who were blocking a rail line west of New Hazelton, and a separate group has barricaded a major intersection near the Port of Vancouver's main entrance.
Kanesatake Mohawk stopped traffic on Highway 344 in Quebec, and Kahnawake Mohawk blocked a Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd rail line south of Montreal.
That barricade "has severed vital rail connections and severely impacted CP's operations, customers and the broader economy," the company said in a statement.
Supporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs pass by CN Rail as they march as part of protests against British Columbia's Coastal GasLink pipeline, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi
(Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Dan Grebler and Grant McCool)
Supporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs march as part of protests against British Columbia's Coastal GasLink pipeline, Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Andrej IvanovSupporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs march as part of protests against British Columbia's Coastal GasLink pipeline, Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Andrej IvanovSupporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs march as part of protests against British Columbia's Coastal GasLink pipeline, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Christinne MuschiPolice block access to highways as supporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs march as part of protests against British Columbia's Coastal GasLink pipeline, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Christinne MuschiA group of supporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs disrupt traffic as they march as part of protests against British Columbia's Coastal GasLink pipeline, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Christinne MuschiA small group confronts police as supporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs march as part of protests against British Columbia's Coastal GasLink pipeline, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Christinne MuschiVancouver Police made several arrests to end a blockade at the intersection of Clark Drive and Hastings Street, held by supporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs as part of protests against the Coastal GasLink pipeline, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Jennifer GauthierAmber Statters is taken into custody, as Vancouver Police made several arrests to end a blockade at the intersection of Clark Drive and Hastings Street, held by supporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs as part of protests against the Coastal GasLink pipeline, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Jennifer GauthierVancouver Police made several arrests to end a blockade at the intersection of Clark Drive and Hastings Street, held by supporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs as part of protests against the Coastal GasLink pipeline, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Jennifer GauthierVancouver Police made several arrests to end a blockade at the intersection of Clark Drive and Hastings Street, held by supporters of the indigenous Wet'suwet'en Nation's hereditary chiefs as part of protests against the Coastal GasLink pipeline, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Jennifer GauthierProtestors stand by a blockade closing a road in Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, south of Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Christinne MuschiA sign indicates a closed road due to a blockade in Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, south of Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Christinne MuschiOntario Provincial Police (OPP) officers guard the site of a dismantled Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory camp next to Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) train tracks in Tyendinaga, Ontario, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Chris HelgrenTwo women from neighbouring Prince Edward County hold signs in solidarity with the Tyendinage Mohawks, whose camp next to a railway was raided by police the day before, in Tyendinaga, Ontario, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Chris HelgrenAn idle Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) train is parked next to an empty VIA Rail commuter station after weeks of blockades, in Trenton, Ontario, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Chris HelgrenOntario Provincial Police (OPP) officers guard the site of a dismantled Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory camp next to Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) train tracks in Tyendinaga, Ontario, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Chris HelgrenTwo women from neighbouring Prince Edward County hold signs in solidarity with the Tyendinage Mohawks whose camp next to a railway was raided by police the day before, in Tyendinaga, Ontario, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Chris HelgrenOntario Provincial Police (OPP) officers guard the site of a dismantled Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory camp next to Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) train tracks in Tyendinaga, Ontario, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Chris HelgrenAn idle Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) train is parked next to an empty VIA Rail commuter station after weeks of blockades, in Trenton, Ontario, Canada February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Chris Helgren
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