Unist'ot'en Camp/Facebook Protesters clash with RCMP at the Gidumt'en territory checkpoint.

HOUSTON, B.C. — RCMP say they arrested 14 people from a blockade to a forest service road in northern British Columbia that is preventing access to a pipeline project. Mounties say the arrests took place at the Gitdumt'en checkpoint on Morice West Forest Service Road for various offences, including alleged violations of an injunction order against the blockade.

They allege officers saw a number of fires being lit along the roadway. Members of the Gidimt'en clan of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation had set up a camp and a checkpoint in the area, southwest of Houston, which they said was to control access.

In a statement, RCMP say officers spoke with representatives of the camp about the removal of a road block along the roadway, and set up a meeting between hereditary chiefs and Coastal GasLink. But police say at about 3 p.m., they realized the matter couldn't be resolved and they took action. The statement says a temporary exclusion zone has been set up in the area where the police do not allow access to anyone who is not part of the enforcement team. The RCMP says the zone remains in place and will be consistently re-assessed. The statement also addressed what police called "erroneous" reports that RCMP jammed communications in the area, and that the military was present during the police enforcement operation. "We would like to clarify that both of these allegations are incorrect," the statement says. "The area is extremely remote and even police had limited access to communication."