Eastern Ont. land dispute calms after tensions rise

Shawn Brant from the Bay of Quinte Mohawks Tyendihga reserve near Deseronto Ont. talks with the media by a bonfire at their blockade on Old highway 2 near Deseronto on June 28, 2007. (CP / Tom Hanson)

There is heavy police presence in Deseronto, Ont., near Belleville, after an escalating land dispute in eastern Ontario calmed following a heated confrontation between native protesters and police.

Members of the Mohawk First Nation who live on a reserve in the area occupied a chunk of disputed land Monday morning and refused to co-operate with police who asked them to leave when they arrived to remove a barricade blocking the road.

Natives occupying the area say they are protesting in an effort to halt plans to develop land, which they say belongs to them.

The tensions heated up Monday when protesters removed a spike belt laid down by police while officers worked to fill a trench dug across the road over the weekend.

By early afternoon, the road was cleared, the trench was filled and both sides had left the scene.

Several incidents in the last week

Monday's dispute follows several incidents over the past week that have made tensions boil.

Protesters took down a barricade near Highway 2 and Lower Slash Road over the weekend, replacing it with a trench spanning the entire width of the road and entirely cutting off three homes.

"They actually dug a very deep trench across the roadway and made it impossible to pass," Sgt. Kristine Rae told CTV News.

Police make arrests

The trench-digging came after the standoff reached a flashpoint on Friday when police arrested Mohawk leader Shawn Brant during a traffic stop.

Brant, 44, is facing several criminal charges, including assault with a weapon, mischief and breach of recognizance.

After Brant's arrest, supporters rushed to the scene and clashed with police, injuring two officers and smashing a cruiser window. Several of those demonstrators were also arrested.

Tensions between the two sides have been escalating since protesters set up a road blockade across a main road in Deseronto early last week.

Dispute far from over

Native protesters say the dispute is far from being settled and told CTV News they would be holding a private meeting Monday night. While they didn't tell CTV News what they would discuss at that meeting, police say they're prepared for another protest.

"Officers are still going to remain in the area. We know that as things progressed over the past couple of weeks different things have come up but we'll be prepared to respond," Rae told CTV News.

Native demonstrations set up in Caledonia

Meanwhile, Six Nations protesters in Caledonia say they won't remove a blockade in southern Ontario until police back down in Deseronto.

The Six Nations group says if the Ontario Provincial Police step things up near Deseronto, the situation in Caledonia will also escalate.

Protests outside McGuinty's Ottawa office

About two dozen protesters gathered in front of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's Ottawa office on Sunday to draw attention to the rising tensions.

Those protesters say aboriginal land claim negotiations need to be dealt with more efficiently.

Members of the group say the province's politicians are not doing enough to resolve tense situations taking place on disputed land.

With files from The Canadian Press