Mohawks prepare to enter 6th day of railway shutdown in support of Wet'suwet'en
The people staging a demonstration in support of Wet'suwet'en pipeline opponents that has led to a five-day shutdown of passenger and freight rail traffic through eastern Ontario say they won't back down in the face of possible police action.
Tyendinaga Mohawk members say they won't end their demonstration until the RCMP leaves the territory of the Wet'suwet'en.
RCMP began enforcing an court order against those blocking construction on the Coastal GasLink pipeline in Northern B.C. last Thursday.
Tyendinaga Mohawk member Jacob Morris said a court injunction that forbids any continued interference with the rail line under the threat of arrest, which was issued by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Friday at the request of CN, won't change the goal of demonstration.
"It's a piece of paper in our eyes, another tree cut down so you can hand it to us," said Morris.
"I'm not worried one bit."
Via Rail has said at least 92 trains have been cancelled since the demonstration began, affecting over 16.000 passengers on one of Canada's busiest rail corridors connecting Toronto to Montreal. CN said dozens of freight trains have been stopped, stalling shipments of everything from propane to feedstock for factories.
The CN-owned rail tracks run just outside the reserve boundaries of Tyendinaga, but are within a land claim area that stretches up to Highway 2 just north of the crossing.
A makeshift camp has sprung up along the rail tracks that now includes a porta-potty, green canvas tents and a barrel fire. The three-track crossing is about 250 kilometres west of Ottawa. ………...More