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| Gitwangax- Kitwanga, B.C., rail blockade. Photo by Lizzy Williams |
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| Gitwangax- Kitwanga, B.C., rail blockade. Photo by Lizzy Williams |
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| Centennial Bridge march in Miramichi, NB. Photo by @lilypad3516 aka Rachel Daigle |
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| CP Rail police walk away from Tyendinaga Mohawks blockading Ontario rails. |
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Rail Blockade protester said he is laying on the tracks for his grandchildren.
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Hundreds attended an Idle No More protest that took place near the Nipigon River Bridge today, Jan. 16. |
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BLOCKADES SHUT DOWN RAIL TRAFFIC Jan. 16, 2013
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| APTN Rail Blockade shuts down tracks in Manitoba. |
Also see BC Rail Blockade
APTN UPDATE WEDNESDAY EVENING
APTN National News
A Manitoba rail blockade has shut down regional rail traffic, according to a spokesman for CN.
An
APTN National News crew, including reporter
Karen Gott,
is following former Roseau River chief Terry Nelson who is spearheading
the rail blockade in Manitoba. The chosen location sits about 90 km
west of Winnipeg at the junction of Hwy. 1 and the Yellowhead Hwy. which
is the major branch route to Western Canada. The RCMP is on the scene.
“Yes, I have just been advised that we now have a blockade in
Manitoba,” said CN spokesman Jim Feeny. “(It is) stopping train traffic
in that region.”
The rail blockade was expected to also target a CP rail line. CP could not be reached for comment.
The Tyendinaga Mohawks also they plan to shut down the CP and CN rail
lines in Ontario as part of cross-country, National Day of Action
events planned from British Columbia to Nunavut, Alberta to Nova Scotia.
Mohawks from Tyendinaga have told
APTN National News reporter
Kenneth Jackson that they plan to shut down the rail lines at about 1 p.m. local time. The location for the blockade is unknown.
Another rail blockade is also expected to hit in British Columbia,
APTN National News reporter Shirley McLean. The Gtixsan of Gitwangak
said they would block the CN rail between 10 a.m. local time and 6 p.m.
Rallies, round dances and blockades were expected from coast-to-coast-to-coast Wednesday.
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| Rally outside the British Consulate in Toronto. |
In Windsor, Ont., about 1,000 people marched to the Ambassador Bridge
which links the city to Detroit, Mich., said filmmaker Monica Virtue.
Virtue said drummers were pounding away and a helicopter hovered over
head as the march stopped briefly on their route, with the bridge
looming in the distance.
“We are getting ready to walk over the bridge,” said Virtue, in a phone interview.
In Ontario, London District Chiefs Council Chair Greg Peters said
earlier in the day that the planned rally at the Ambassador BridgeÂ
would be the biggest First Nations event the area has ever seen. Plans
are to rally for about an hour, temporarily stopping cross-border
traffic.
"This will be the biggest First Nation event that Windsor has ever seen,” said Peters, who spoke to
APTN
while standing in a parking lot packed with 12 buses of supporters. “We
want to send a message that depending on the numbers, should we decide
to shut down the border at a future date that is possible, that it could
be done.
A portion of Hwy 401 was shut down by police for the convoy to the bridge.
In Miramichi, NB, marchers took over the Centennial Bridge as part of nation-wide events.
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| Six Nations holds rally Wednesday morning at Cayuga courthouse |
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In Cayuga, Ont., near Hamilton, about 60 people from Six Nations
rallied and round danced at the local court house Wednesday morning.
“The idle No More movement is connecting to the everyday injustices
faced by Native people when they are dragged through the courts at the
hands of the (Ontario Provincial Police) when they are standing up for
their rights,” said organizer Laura Lepper.
Lepper said the rally was partly in support of Theresa Toad Jaimeson
who is facing charges from a Feb. 18, 2012, incident after a
“anti-Native rights” activist walked into an area of land in Caledonia,
Ont., that Six Nations reclaimed in 2006.
A spokesman for the OPP said the provincial police force would be focusing on preserving public safety throughout the day.
“I know there are various activities planned for various locations,”
said OPP Sgt. Peter Leon. “We are prepared to deal with them as they do
present themselves.”
Barrie, Ont., police warned drivers Wednesday morning to expect delays as a result of rallies.
Members of Alderville First Nation in Ontario are slowing traffic
along Hwy. 45 which cuts through their territory. They are handing out
pamphlets, coffee and juice..
Possible blockades are also expected in Ontario and Manitoba. Former Roseau River chief Terry Nelson told
APTN National News there are plans to shut down the CP and CN rail lines in Manitoba.
In British Columbia, the Pat Bay Hwy in Vancouver Island is also expected to be blocked temporarily.
A highway blockade is also planned near Cardston, Alta., and in the
Lubicon Lake nation in the same province plans traffic slowdowns
throughout the oil fields in their territory.
“We’re not out blocking the roads and shutting things down, we’re not
at that point.” said Lubicon Coun. Bryan Laboucan, in a statement. “All
we’re doing here today is taking a few minutes to talk to people
visiting our territory whether for work or just passing through and
educate them on our situation.”
In Whitehorse a 24-hour prayer circle is expected to begin at about 6
p.m. local time. In Toronto, an Idle No More rally is planned for the
British consulate at noon local time.
A march is planned in Kanesatake that will begin at the Pines near
the cemetery that was once at the centre of the Oka crisis in 1990.
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| Idle No More march across the Westmorland Bridge in Fredericton, NB. |
The Algonquins Barriere Lake, Que.,
plan to slow down traffic on Hwy 117 to draw attention to their opposition of forestry projects on their land.
