OPP moved in this morning and took action to remove the barriers to rail service in and near Tyendinaga Township.
Several arrests have been made as police enforced an injunction that prohibits a blockade on a rail line through Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory near Belleville,
"Since Thursday, February 6, OPP members have been meeting regularly and communicating with various representatives of the people protesting in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en peoples of British Columbia," says an OPP news release.
It says the OPP Provincial Liaison Team has engaged "in significant collaborative and respectful dialogue aimed at bringing about a peaceful resolution while ensuring everyone's safety and preserving their respective rights guaranteed by Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms."
The action was mostly quiet and peaceful.
"We have remained respectful of the ongoing dialogue, including issues of sovereignty between our Indigenous communities and various federal ministers, and have hoped for productive communication leading to a peaceful resolution," explains the release. "The OPP notes the broader societal impacts of this extended protest have correspondingly increased risks to public safety closer to the protest sites. Unfortunately, all avenues to successfully negotiate a peaceful resolution have been exhausted and a valid court injunction remains in effect."
The OPP has a legal responsibility to enforce the injunction.
"The OPP has called upon all those involved to abide by the injunction and leave the area and to not put public peace or anyone's safety in jeopardy. All people are being encouraged to leave the demonstration site peacefully. Enforcement of the injunction may include arrest of those who choose not to comply, however, use of force remains a last resort."
