Protests continue in Rexton, N.B.

If your driving in the London area this weekend, be aware that First Nations protesters could shut down Highway 402 Saturday morning starting at 10am. Police say they are holding discussions with the organizers of the protest in the hopes of finding a safer location. The demonstration follows last night’s shutdown of the Highway 6 bypass in Caledonia when 30 to 40 members of Six Nations blocked the road in solidarity with the ongoing protests in New Brunswick.

Thursday, those protests, against shale gas exploration, turned violent. And 40 people were arrested when police tried to enforce a court-ordered injunction. The RCMP’s commanding officer says police enforced the injunction because they concluded the weeks-long demonstration was no longer safe. New Brunswick’s Premier, David Alward, says the type of violence seen at a protest site in Rexton cannot be condoned. He’s calling on demonstrators to take down barricades.