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TYENDINAGA MOHAWK TERRITORY, Ont. — Several protesters were detained Monday morning as provincial police moved in to clear a rail blockade on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory in central Ontario that has brought freight and passenger rail traffic to a virtual standstill.

The arrests came hours after the protesters ignored a midnight deadline by police to leave their encampment near Belleville, Ont., or face criminal charges.

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Dozens of officers arrived at the blockade Monday morning, and around 8:30 a.m. they detained several men and took them away. Several dozen other officers lined up in front of the remaining protesters at the encampment, which has been up for about three weeks. Officers moved in again around 9:15 a.m. to take more men away.

A spokesman for the Ontario Provincial Police said the protesters have since pulled back from the rail tracks.

“It’s still a dynamic situation,” Bill Dickson said.