Protesters leave railway blockade south of Morris, Man., after initially refusing

Protesters opposing a pipeline in northern B.C. said they are abandoning a blockade just outsideof Morris, Man., lateMonday afternoon after initially ignoring a court injunction to leave.

By 3 p.m., a CN police officer tried to hand a copy of the court injunction to Vin Clarke, one of the organizers, but he refused to touch it.

The officer left the court orderon the snow-swept rail crossing with Highway 75. Somepapers promptly blew away.

"I disregard it just like they disregarded our treaties," Clarke said moments later, after tellingsupporters huddled by the fire he wouldn't obey theinjunction.

An hour later, Clarke approached CN police officers on his own to announcetheir protest with nearly a dozen supporters wouldend. He told CBC they were happy to let drivers and media know their objection to the pipeline in northern B.C. and the RCMP's conduct in the area.

Theholiday Monday blockade was the latest show of supportin Manitoba for theWet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs, who are opposing the construction of a natural gas pipeline in B.C.'s North Coast.

Traffic slowed for seconds at a time

Solidarity protests have emerged nationwide after B.C. RCMParrested people who tried to prevent the pipeline from being constructed. Supporting rallieshave halted train service and held up traffic in many cities.

Clarke vowed to hold more protests, regardless of anycourt actions.

"This war is far from over, man," he said. "We're going to fight again."

In Monday's blockade in Morris, demonstrators briefly held up each semi-trailer, but only for five to 10seconds. They let other drivers passthrough without delay.

Clarke said the protesters were demonstrating their power to block traffic if they wanted to.

CN said train movement in the area was stopped because of the protest.

The demonstration began in the late morning. The supporters said that they handed out more than 1,400 pamphlets explainingthat the federal government has neversigned a treaty with theWet'suwet'enNation, and that the land in question in B.C is unceded territory.

Semi refused to stop

The protestwas otherwisecalm, but got heated shortly after the court injunction was ignored. Protesters shouted in angerwhen one semidriver refused to stop, forcing people to run out of the way.

The demonstratorsresponded by stopping the next semidriver, who becameagitated and demanded the police intervene. The driver was let through after around 10 minutes.

RCMP and CN police were on site to monitor the protest.

While many drivers waved and one person came withdonuts, a few folkslobbed racist language at the demonstrators.

Clarke shruggedoff the detractors.

"It goes to show what the general public generally thinks of Native issues," he said.

Two other railway blockadesended in Manitoba in the last week after being served withcourt injunctions. There were demonstrations on Sunday nearLetellierand seven kilometres west of Winnipeg on Feb. 12-13.