Protesters shut down GO Transit out of Hamilton early Tuesday in response to Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) moving to end a blockade by the Mohawks of Tyendinaga, of a rail line near Belleville, Ont. on Monday.

A group of about a dozen people huddled around fires on the tracks by Hamilton Harbour, with green tarps strung up across between them and a pair of police cars parked to the side.

Throughout the morning small groups of people made their way down the muddy hillside to join the protest, some wrapped in blankets, while others hauled firewood or wagons packed with supplies.

Marcia Hicks was carrying a cooler bag with drinks and snacks as well as a sleeping bag.

She was only able to join the protest for a few hours, but said she came out because she's been following the news about Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who oppose construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through their territory in northern B.C.

The situation resonates with her own concerns about the environment and investment in oil, she said.

"This also has to do with how our government responds to people that are in opposition to the way they're handling business," she added, saying she believes the situation has been handled "extremely poorly."

Hicks said the arrests in Tyendinaga show the protests shouldn't be solved through a "violent process."

"When people get to this place they're a bit desperate," she said. "They've really tried, and I think that … they really have tired with every peaceful means so it's kind of at the end of the rope for them."

GO Transit announced on its website that "As the result of the ongoing police investigation along the tracks between Aldershot GO and Hamilton GO, our trains will not be able to service Niagara Falls GO, St. Catharines GO, Hamilton GO or West Harbour GO stations on Tuesday morning."

© Dan Taekema/CBC Protesters block rail tracks in Hamilton in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs opposing the building of a $6-billion Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline in B.C..

The transit service says customers can take bus shuttles departing from those same stations at the same times as the cancelled trains. It says the shuttles will "connect customers with our train service at either Aldershot or Burlington GO."

Riders should expect some "some additional crowding," GO Transit says.

The Hamilton GO blockade was organized by a local anarchist collective. It started late Monday afternoon and prevented westbound trains from getting to Hamilton at the end of the day.

Police hope protesters will leave 'peacefully'

In an update at 11:15 a.m. Hamilton police Const. Jerome Stewart said protesters have been served with a court injunction.

A Facebook page called Wet'suwet'en Strong: Hamilton in Solidarity has been posting about the protest since it began. In an update Tuesday morning the group said it started the day by burning that very injunction.

Stewart said police are in place to maintain safety and a "peaceful environment."

He described the protest as a blockade and said he's not aware of any ongoing negotiations with the protesters.

© Dan Taekema/CBC Const. Jerome Stewart, centre, speaks with a group of people who were trying to bring snacks and supplies to the protesters on the tracks.

The spokesperson could not comment on how long the situation will go on, saying only that police are hoping the situation is resolved as soon as possible.

"Hamilton police do respect the right of people's freedom of assembly and a peaceful assembly. However we have a court injunction that's in place and we're here to enforce that injection if need…" Stewart said before trailing off. "Hopefully we don't get to that stage, hopefully people will leave the area peacefully."

Sonia Hill, who identifies as Mohawk from Six Nations of Grand River, sang medicine songs Monday night and supported demonstrators at a separate demonstration in Caledonia before voluntarily leaving.

The 24-year-old, who is a teaching assistant in sociology at McMaster University, said Six Nations will defend their land indefinitely and she will support them, despite fears of being arrested.

"I'm coming back tomorrow... I'm going to bring my students, make it a part of their credit, their attendance [to] check in with me at the blockade." Hill and others were protesting Monday night on hwy. 6 in Caledonia.

McMaster University said while students and faculty are free to participate in demonstrations, a student's grade can't be conditional on whether they do.

Cancellations and delays

The GO service disruptions announced included an early train out of Niagara Falls and two morning trains from the West Harbour station.

GO is running busses to shuttle regular passengers from West Hamilton and Hamilton GO stations to Aldershot.

The Facebook page posting about the protest called for new people to join the demonstration, saying protesters were shutting down the rail lines because of the "violence perpetrated towards Indigenous land defenders and their supporters" and the "forced removal and criminalization of Indigenous people from their lands."

The post adds "disruption is what we MUST turn to," in order to make change and said the protesters will be in place as long as possible.

Roughly 15 to 20 people were protesting Monday night on the tracks with small fires burning in the area between Aldershot and Hamilton at the Bayview Junction.

The section of the tracks with protesters is owned by CN Rail. Company officials from CN and CP Rail told CBC News Monday night that they were aware of the situation and were monitoring it.

Blockade at Highway 6 in Caledonia

© Colin Cote-Paulette Indigenous protesters near Six Nations of the Grand River blocked Highway 6 in Caledonia, Ont. show their support for the Wet'suwet'en protests on Feb. 25, 2020.

Darien Bardy, 20, told CBC News that police officers vastly outnumbered demonstrators on the tracks.

"It not only affects the Indigenous community, it affects everyone," she said.

Highway 6 at Caledonia also remained blocked Tuesday morning.

Rodney Leclair, an OPP media relations officer, said Monday that the Caledonia protest was a "solidarity demonstration blockade."

Highway 6 is closed between Argyle Street South and Greens Road in Caledonia. The protest is close to the Six Nations reserve just outside Caledonia on the bypass over the Grand River.

The OPP tweeted drivers in the area should expect traffic delays.

"Please be patient if impacted," the message advises.

Bettee Giles, 71, lives in Caledonia and says she saw a similar demonstration last week. She told CBC News she spent an hour in traffic because of it, but the demonstration didn't upset her.

"They were standing there very peacefully," she said.

Sonia Hill says they won't stop fighting.

"Until RCMP are cleared off Wet'suwet'en land ... we'll continue to stand here in Hamilton, we'll continue to stand across Turtle Island and block the rails. This is not it; Hamilton is not it at all."