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Poundmaker didn’t rule out erecting a blockade again at the site or somewhere else. “Site 1 wasn’t the only site we had in mind.”

Photo by Codie McLachlan/Reuters

Wet’suwet’en supporters linked arms in front their camp as a few counter-protesters tried to remove pallets and other materials from the tracks.

“This is the violence. See this is the violence,” said a protester, who had his face covered.

“This is not violence. I am just trying to remove some garbage,” a counter-protester responded.

Guy Simpson, an oilfield worker from Leduc, Alta., said he decided to show up at the blockade after seeing it on social media.

“One blockade at a time. I’ll clean it up,” he said after loading some items from the camp onto his pickup truck.

Simpson and other counter-protesters removed the wooden pallets and other materials that were on the tracks.

Another man with a beard and a ball cap and driving a black pickup truck stopped on the road over the tracks and yelled at the protesters from his window. “There’s a lot of hard-working people out of work,” he told them. “I’m taking time out of work right now so I can tell you punks to get to work.”

A protester sarcastically replied: “You really showed us.”

The pickup driver shouted as he drove off: “Why don’t you guys just drop dead? You can’t even uncover your faces.”

Photo by David Bloom/Postmedia

Poundmaker said he knows people are upset that the blockades across the country are affecting the economy and jobs.

“I know they think we’re coming after oil and gas,” he said. “But we’re focused on justice for Indigenous people right now. We’re focused on trying to build a future for everyone.”