Six protesters were arrested Wednesday morning after blocking a Canadian Pacific Railway line in Regina.
The blockade at Park Street delayed at least two trains loaded with cargo before police arrived to move the group. When some refused to leave, they were peacefully arrested.
Oliver Davis, one of the protesters, says that they are calling for a two-way arms embargo against Israel and for the federal government to follow through on a recent commitment to cease the supply of arms overseas.
“We have been in firm opposing this genocide since the beginning,” said Davis. “We have attempted to pressure our government to withdraw support from Israel through phone calls, letters, and petitions to our elected officials and through peaceful rallies and sit-ins. We have done all we can through the democratic process and are now forced to put our bodies on the line to stop this.”
It was last month that many Liberal MPs joined the NDP in backing a motion last month calling for an end to new export permits for arms bound for Israel.
Since its passing, there has been confusion over the motion’s purpose, with some saying it amounts to an arms embargo and others saying it simply reinforces business as usual.
The protest joins port and rail blockades in Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, St. John’s, and Halifax to disrupt freight infrastructure nationwide.
