Via Rail passenger trains as well as Canadian National freight trains were delayed for several hours Saturday morning after about 30 pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked a CN track in St. Bruno, Que., south of Montreal.
The railway line owned by CN connects Montreal to Halifax, where protesters claim goods are shipped to Israel.
Local Longueuil police said that they received a 911 call at about 10:05 a.m. They asked protesters blocking the tracks at the intersection of Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Seigneurial boulevards to move. According to police spokesperson Melanie Mercille, after protesters refused to move, the police’s emergency intervention unit broke up the barricade an hour and a half later.
Police say four officers were pepper sprayed and four people, both men and women in their 20s and 30s, are facing charges ranging from obstruction to assault.
Mercille added that other demonstrators fled and that police were patrolling the area to ensure no other laws were broken.
In a press release, a group called the Ad-hoc BDS Direct Action Collective blamed CN Rail for helping transport goods to Israel, which they accuse of genocide in its conflict with Hamas. According to the release, the blockade was meant to “temporarily interrupt trade by shutting down a vital artery and draw attention to Canada’s material support, and inspire further boycott, divestment, and sanctions direct action.”
The top United Nations court has concluded there is a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza — a charge Israel strongly denies, telling the court it was doing everything it could to protect the civilian population during its military operation in Gaza. Israel claims the operation in Gaza is focused on destroying Hamas and bringing the remaining hostages home after the Oct. 7 attacks.
This is the latest in a number of actions across the country calling for divestments and sanctions against Israel. A week ago, an encampment was set up at Victoria Square in Old Montreal, as well as the multiple encampments on university campuses across North America, including one at McGill University, which is still in place.
Police have not intervened in most cases.
Some bystanders in St. Bruno on Saturday questioned some of the tactics used by some protesters.
“I think when we’re talking about protests in the city, which are usually organized, that would be a different thing from blocking critical infrastructure like the railway, which is used by passenger and commercial trains,” Maxime Beaudoin told Global News.
In his view, blocking the tracks is potentially dangerous and could distract from the activists’ message.
Protesters at encampments have pointed out to Global News that disruptive actions are effective at getting the public’s attention.
Regarding Saturday’s blockade, CN said only that it was aware and monitoring the situation, and referred questions to police.
In an email to Global, Via Rail wrote that the protest, “caused a backlog of train traffic leading to delays, including for VIA Rail trains 35 and 24 towards Québec City.” According to VIA, one train arrived in Montreal at 2:08 p.m., almost three hours late.
Police and CN crews had the tracks cleared just before 2 p.m.
— with files from The Associated Press, The Canadian Press, and Alessia Maratta, Global News
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