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Amid pressure to end Indigenous protest blockades of vital Canadian rail links, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the disruptions must be resolved through dialogue, not by ordering in the police.

Trudeau acknowledged the difficulties the blockades have caused for travellers and businesses, but he made it clear Friday the federal government had no plans to make the RCMP dismantle them.

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“We are not the kind of country where politicians get to tell the police what to do in operational matters,” Trudeau said in Munich, Germany, where he was attending a global security conference.

“We are a country that recognizes the right to protest, but we are a country of the rule of law. And we will ensure that everything is done to resolve this through dialogue and constructive outcomes.”

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said the situation had become ridiculous and called on Trudeau to take swift action.