Mohawk protesters block a railway line on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory between Belleville and Deseronto, Ont. as part of the national Idle No More protests. The protest began peacefully around 4 p.m., they said, with Ontario Provincial Police keeping their distance. (Luke Hendry/QMI Agency)
OTTAWA - There's worry about what will come next after provincial police decided not to move in on Idle No More protesters illegally blocking and allegedly tampering with a rail line last weekend east of Belleville, Ont.
"With these ongoing events, it becomes more and more (possible) that something could go wrong and that we'd be in an unsafe position," said Steve Mercer, Tyendinaga Township's chief administrative officer. "That's basically the concern I'm getting from certain councillors, yes."
A provincial judge has already slammed police for not enforcing an injunction against Saturday's protest on the CN line that goes right through Tyendinaga Township.
Police have defended the decision to wait for protesters to leave on their own on Saturday, which eventually happened, saying their goal is to "keep the peace."
Still, there are concerns that future protests could leave damage to train tracks that could go undetected until a train carrying hazardous goods derails.
