Photo by Jorge Barrera.
Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow says, “On this International Women’s Day, I stand in solidarity with the CN blockade in memory of murdered and missing aboriginal women.”
The Canadian Press reports, “Police say three people will be charged after Mohawk protesters occupied CN Rail tracks in eastern Ontario in a demand for an inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women. Provincial police say demonstrators moved onto the tracks Saturday morning in Napanee, east of Belleville, leading to CN issuing a stop order for all trains.”
“Demonstrators had vowed on Friday to step up their protest in response to a parliamentary report into missing and murdered indigenous women that rejected numerous calls for a full public inquiry. Spokesman Shawn Brant has said that there will be consequences for a national inquiry not being called. The activists have been blockading a road east of Belleville since last Sunday night.”
On Twitter, APTN’s Jorge Barrera reported earlier this afternoon, “OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) have sealed off access to rail lines. Roughly 17 protesters and about 30 OPP officers in standoff by tracks. …Shawn Brant, John Fox, ‘Cracker’ and ‘Ribs’ have been arrested so far.” He later noted, “Shortly after railway standoff ended a train loaded with what appeared to be oil tanker cars roared through.”
The Council of Canadians has supported the call for an inquiry into the estimated 800 missing and murdered Aboriginal women in this country.
