Tensions continue to rise over demonstrations at a Winnipeg landfill, as a judge ruled Friday afternoon to grant a temporary injunction removing a blockade.
After a court injunction was issued for the blockade to be removed by 6 p.m. Friday, it still remained late into the night.
Protesters even burned a paper copy of the injunction that had been given to them by police.
The injunction was posted to a board shortly before 6 p.m., and throughout Friday night, police came and went several times.
The protesters are demanding officials search another local landfill — the private Prairie Green facility — for the remains of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Earlier this week, the City of Winnipeg applied to the Court of King’s Bench, asking the courts to end the blockade and to authorize the arrest and removal of anyone disobeying the order.
While the demonstrators are permitted to continue their protest, the ruling by Justice Sheldon Lanchbery means they’ll have to take down the blockade. Winnipeg police were authorized to commence action as of 6 p.m. and remove anyone who continues to block access to the landfill.
The landfill issue has been a hotly debated topic after the provincial government announced earlier this month that it would not go ahead with a search of the Prairie Green landfill, citing health and safety concerns.
Federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller called Premier Heather Stefanson’s decision “heartless” on Wednesday, with Stefanson firing back and accusing the minister of electing to “inflame and distort” and politicize the tragedy.
Manitoba’s Opposition NDP Leader Wab Kinew says the province could’ve handled the landfill situation better by working with the families on alternatives.
“I’d want to go back and say, ‘Look, here are some other options. In fact, we’re going to go talk to some other experts, we’re going to get a second opinion,'” Kinew told 680 CJOB’s Connecting Winnipeg Friday morning.
“Bottom line, we’re going to bring these different scenarios forward so we can find something that the broad general public of Manitoba can live with, but also is going to show that respect for the families, and send them that message that, ‘We care about your loved one — we’re going to try.'”
Jeremy Skibicki has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of four women. The remains of two of his alleged victims, Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, are believed to be at Prairie Green.
Kinew said in addition to giving the families closure, recovering the women’s remains can also help increase the chance of a conviction.
“The person who is alleged to have done this will face a greater likelihood of that accountability that I think we all want to see here.
“These family members, their loved ones have been the victim of one of the worst crimes in our province’s history — a serial killer, elements of racism involved, and just a terrible, terrible situation.
“I think all of our hearts feel compassion for these folks.”