Police in Canada clears rail blockade

Ottawa, Feb 25 (AFP/APP):Canadian police Tuesday cleared out indigenous protesters blocking a key east-west rail artery for nearly three weeks to protest a pipeline, causing major disruptions to the economy.

The protesters, confronting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with a political crisis, had mounted the blockade on a Canadian National Railway line east of Toronto and at other places in support of a small group fighting construction of a natural gas pipeline on indigenous lands in British Columbia.

Trudeau told parliament it was important to keep working on reconciliation with native peoples, even in tough situations.

Ontario Provincial Police began clearing the line Monday morning after a midnight deadline for the blockade’s removal passed unheeded.

Television footage showed dozens of police officers taking protesters away in handcuffs one by one, after a few minor scuffles broke out at the Tyendinaga Mohawk camp about 200 kilometers (124 miles) northeast of Toronto.

At least 10 people were detained, according to reports, which said they could be heard singing and banging the inside of a police van.

Hours after the police operation, freight rail service resumed in Tyendinaga in the evening for the first time since February 6, Canadian television showed.

Now, chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en Nation behind the original protest movement were to meet in British Columbia to decide what their next step will be.

Meanwhile, fresh protests in support of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs fighting the Coastal GasLink pipeline popped up in Saskatchewan province and at the Pacific port of Vancouver. Supporters also marched in Ottawa and Montreal.

Trudeau on Friday called the situation “unacceptable and untenable,” and said attempts to negotiate an end to the standoff had failed.

His Liberal government has made reconciliation with indigenous peoples a priority.

But the disruptions to rail traffic — the backbone of Canada’s transportation system, moving more than Can$250 billion ($190 billion) in goods annually — led to supply shortages and job layoffs.

Under pressure to end the crisis, Trudeau sought to establish a dialogue with indigenous leaders but the overtures went unanswered.

He gave up, he said Monday, “when it became clear that the indigenous (protesters) were not prepared to negotiate in good faith with us.”

Canada warns indigenous rail blockades could cripple economy