CALEDONIA, Ont. - Ontario Provincial Police have arrested nine protesters at the site of an aboriginal demonstration at a housing development in Caledonia, Ont.
Six Nations protesters have been occupying the site since last week, claiming the land is theirs.
Home builder Sam Gualtieri was hospitalized last Thursday with face and head injuries after confronting a group of protesters in a house in the Stirling Street subdivision.
The violent confrontation prompted the province to pull out of the week's scheduled negotiations with Six Nations and the federal government.
Police say prior to Wednesday's arrests, officers gave protesters the option of leaving the property on their own or being arrested and charged.
The nine people arrested are facing criminal charges, but police did not immediately elaborate.
There were no reports Wednesday of violence at the site, which is about one kilometre from the Douglas Creek housing development that's been the site of a contentious Six Nations occupation since February 2006.
The aboriginals were given the land in 1784 by the British Crown, but Ottawa says most of it was surrendered or sold by 1850.
The protesters claim the land was never surrendered.
