YouTube pulled a controversial how-to rail sabotage video yesterday that sparked concern in the upper ranks of governments and triggered investigations by the police forces of the country's largest rail companies.
The video had been viewed 6,997 times by the time it was pulled late yesterday morning. It was posted in support of Native land claims and surfaced at time of heightened tensions between First Nations and government as a planned day of action looms.
Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice expressed relief the video had been yanked. "It was inciting criminal behaviour and was irresponsible and dangerous and not the kind of thing that anyone needs in Canada at this point," said Prentice.
CN would not comment. It and Canadian Pacific Railway's police forces have launched investigations into the source of the video.
Transport Canada said it had receive no related incident reports. There is no evidence the video was made by a Native group. The Railway Ties Collective claimed responsibility for it. The RCMP would not say whether they were aware of the group.
YouTube posted a message on the video's page saying it had "been removed due to terms of use violation." But text instructions for using a wire to trigger full-stop signal lights on the rails remained alongside a thumbnail image of the video. The video emerged amid threats of rail blockades and occupations of government buildings by residential school survivors.
CN also announced yesterday it was withdrawing a lawsuit against the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte after obtaining "sworn evidence" from chief and council that they did not authorize last month's 30-hour blockade between Montreal and Toronto.
