Hamilton Police have arrested four individuals who occupied the rail tracks near Bayview Junction in Hamilton in a Wet’suwet’en solidarity protest earlier this week.

On February 24, 2020, at approximately 5:00 p.m. Hamilton Police responded to reports of a number of people gathered on the rail tracks near the Bayview Junction. At its height, there were about 30 people in the area.

During the blockade, police observed two fires on the railway lines and the tracks were also covered with ropes and signage. The blockade resulted in cancellation of Metrolinx service at the West Harbour GO, Hamilton GO, St. Catharines GO and Niagara Falls GO stations, as well as affected CN and CP rail service.

After an investigation, the following individuals have been identified and arrested:

Barry Conway, 34-years-old of Hamilton

Woodrow Fraser-Boychuk, 25-years-old of Hamilton

Patricia Mills, 35-years-old of Hamilton

Erin Warner, 38-years-old of Hamilton

The accused all face the following charges:

Mischief Over – damage to property x2

Mischief – interfere with the lawful use of property x2

Three individuals were arrested on Wednesday evening and one individual turned herself in on Thursday morning.

Hamilton Police respect everyone’s right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The primary goal during the protest was to preserve peace and maintain a safe environment for everyone. Police used discretion to balance the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly while also upholding the law.

The protesters were served with an injunction by CN Rail to leave the site on February 24 and they eventually vacated the tracks peacefully around 5:00 p.m. on February 25, 2020. Hamilton Police had established a dialogue with the protesters throughout the day and encouraged them to abide by the injunction and peacefully leave the area.

Hamilton Police continue to investigate the rail service disruption and anticipate more charges. Anyone with information is encouraged to come forward to Detective Constable Alexis Petrovic at 905-546-3816 or A/D/Sgt. Amanda Gill at 905-546-3833.

To provide information anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit your anonymous tips online at www.crimestoppershamilton.com.