The following message was issued by the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA) on Monday, February 24, 2020:
“ Some protesters are in custody after Ontario Provincial Police officers moved against the rail blockade near Belleville, Ont. this morning – where protests by the Mohawks of Tyendinaga have crippled passenger and freight train traffic for more than two weeks in solidarity with anti-pipeline protests in northern B.C..
Police and CN Rail had warned protesters to clear their encampments by midnight Sunday. Hours after the deadline passed, provincial police moved in and arrested several protesters.
Two industrial-sized tow trucks were brought in to haul away a snow plow from the protest site Monday afternoon. CN Rail crews also have been spotted inspecting and working on the train tracks since mid-morning.
A second encampment set up by the protesters nearby remains in place.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the Incident Response Group today to discuss ongoing work to end the blockades and restore fully functional rail service across Canada. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Transport Marc Garneau, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Quebec Lieutenant Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair, and Minister of Indigenous Services Marc Miller participated in the meeting, along with RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki and Government of Canada officials.
The Prime Minister and ministers will continue to work directly with premiers and Indigenous leaders to resolve the situation as soon as possible. The Government of Canada remains focused on finding a peaceful and lasting resolution with the objective of ending the blockades in a way that protects the rule of law and builds trust and respect among all parties involved.
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We are continuing to monitor this situation and will advise accordingly.
For more information, please call David Lychek, Manager – Ocean & Air Services at (905) 882-4880, ext. 1207.
