KEY FACTS On Monday evening, more than a dozen people gathered on the tracks owned by CN Rail near Hamilton

A group called Wet’suwet’en Strong: Hamilton in Solidarity, have claimed responsibility for the blockade

GO Transit cancelled train service at its stations in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Hamilton and West Harbour Tuesday morning

Hamilton Police closed off all access to the Hamilton rail junction and encouraged protesters to leave peacefully

Protesters blocking the commuter rail line that affects GO traffic were served with an injunction by CN Rail. Police won’t say whether they will enforce the injunction

The Wet’suwet’en solidarity demonstration on Hamilton rail tracks appears to be over after just 24 hours.

Just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the only 12 people who remained on the tracks appeared to be security or police.

What appeared to be a smouldering fire remained at the site, along with a tent and supplies.

The Wet’suwet’en solidarity blockades halted rush hour GO service on Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

Earlier in the day, a handful of protesters were at the site, where they’d been camped out since late Monday afternoon.

The protest forced GO Transit to cancel trains out of Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Hamilton and West Harbour starting Monday evening.

Police confirmed that protesters had left the tracks.

Hamilton police had closed off access to the Hamilton rail junction and had said anyone found there who was not law enforcement would be in violation of an injunction.

Protesters had blocked the railway off York Boulevard and on Highway 6 between Argyle Street South and Greens Road Tuesday, forcing GO Transit to cancel morning train service at its stations in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Hamilton and West Harbour and instead ran shuttle buses between the stations.

Const. Jerome Stewart said protesters had been surved with an injunction by CN Rail on Tuesday morning.

Stewart stressed their “primary objective” was to maintain peace.

As actions against the Coastal GasLink pipeline on Wet'suwet'en territory continue, it is useful to understand the difference between Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who oppose the pipeline, and the band council members who have supported it.

He was not aware of any negotiations with protesters, who posted on Facebook that they burned the injunction.

Hamilton police said they were called to the area around 5 p.m. on Monday night.

Demonstrators and supporters had also blocked the Highway 6 bypass in Caledonia.

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The Hamilton and Caledonia protests popped up hours after the OPP dismantled the rail blockade in Tyendinaga on Monday that has garnered national attention in solidarity with the B.C. Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs.

“We’re not leaving as long as it’s possible to be here,” a group on Facebook called “Wet’suwet’en Strong: Hamilton in Solidary” posted Tuesday morning.

Supporter Marcia Hicks arrived at the site with food and sleeping bags to carry down to the protesters just before 11 a.m.

She said she supported the cause because it “speaks” to her on “many levels.”

“In terms of the environmental implications of constant investment into oil,” she said. “Also how our government responds to people in opposition.”

Hicks added that it’s important for her to stand up to what she believes in. While she hasn’t personally encountered anyone “passionately inconvenienced” by the blockades, she said anyone who is should “fact check” the implications of what doing nothing could mean.

“I would love to believe it will make a change,” she said, pointing to the recent cancellation of the Teck Resources mine.

The protesters had located near Bayview Junction, an intersection of major rail lines on the edge of Hamilton and Burlington often described as one of the busiest in Canada.

Earlier in the day at Queen’s Park, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said it was up to police on the scene to handle the blockade and the injunction but said she was concerned the protesters have “put themselves in danger” by camping out along the tracks whether they are First Nations people or others joining them in sympathy.

“Frankly, legitimate or not, peoples’ lives are in danger when activists choose to go on an operating rail line and it can’t continue,” she added.

Jones urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “step up” and begin meaningful dialogue with First Nations.

New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath said blockades are “troublesome” but added there is no “real movement” on First Nations concerns such as ending boil water orders on reserves by providing clean water systems, helping ease youth suicides, or fix inadequate housing and health care.

“These are real issues that folks in Ontario are facing and governments are doing nothing about it, so when other people decide to join with the voices of First Nations and Indigenous people to say this is not acceptable, then I think that this is a legitimate opinion and that folks have a right to demonstrate to have their voices heard.”

On Tuesday, Cayuga Nation member Rhonda Martin described the actions as “solidarity” protests in support of Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs.

Martin said the group will remain blocking Highway 6 between Argyle Street South and Greens Road until Wet’suwet’en demands are met.

“When we get word from them, we’ll go home … not before,” said Martin, who urged the federal government to not to treat the protests as isolated incidents.

“Hello Canada, wake up. We’re not going away. I don’t know why the Government of Canada can’t see that. We’re not going away, so deal with us.”

Martin said she hopes police will not try to forcibly evict the group, but if it happens “we are going to resist,” she said. “For me, anyway, I am going to stand my ground.”

The nation-wide demonstrations stem from disputes over a TransCanada pipeline in British Columbia. The northern B.C. region’s Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs are insistent that the Coastal GasLink pipeline project not go ahead on their traditional territory.

With files from Rob Ferguson

Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering city hall for the Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com

Nicole O’Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for the Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com

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