A local protester is sitting outside the offices of MP Cheryl Gallant and MPP John Yakabuski in Pembroke and says she’s not leaving until police stop the arrests against Indigenous people. Indigenous protests over a pipeline being built on Wet’suwet’en land has halted rail service across Canada for several weeks. Protester Maxine Jeffrey says six illegal arrests took place this morning by the OPP on Mohawk Territory near Belleville. Jeffrey says she tried going into the office of the local politicians, but was live-streaming a video and was threatened to be arrested if she didn’t turn the video off. She is now sitting inside the Victoria Centre hoping the government takes action and puts an end to the arrests against protesters who have not passed the injunction line. Jeffrey says two protesters arrested this morning have been hospitalized and she’s standing in solidarity until police back off.
Jeffrey says when she took part in a previous protest along Mary Street in Pembroke two weeks ago, she received threats online from others who didn’t support what they’re fighting for. Jeffrey says she would be happy to talk to anyone who is interested in learning more. The OPP started detaining anti-pipeline protesters at a rail blockade in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory near Belleville this morning. The force says officers moved in to clear the rail tracks after all efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully were exhausted. Police had yesterday given the protesters until midnight to move the blockade or face criminal charges.
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Protest in Pembroke to support Wet’suwet’en First Nation in B.C.