People from the Elsipogtog First Nation, among others, have been on the scene for several weeks now, blocking access to gas exploration equipment owned by SWN Resources.
The company got an injunction to force them to move.
Last week, Premier David Alward and the Chief of Elsipogtog said they would keep talking to keep things peaceful, but today the police moved in.
Police cars burned, rubber bullets and tear gas used, schools were locked down and more than 40 arrests took place.
“Tensions were high with serious criminal activities were being committed,” says New Brunswick RCMP Constable Jullie Rogers-Marsh. “It required police action. I can confirm that there have been at least 40 arrests made to this point.”
Police blocked the highway surrounding the protest site at Rexton.
Around 10 o’clock this morning, dozens of officers stormed a section of the site where protesters were camped out.
The arrests began.
RCMP on site kept media on one side of the blockade, several hundred feet back.
One protester on site says it was chaos leading up to the police cruisers being set on fire.
“They were pepper-spraying the elders in the eyes and everything so the people got mad and they couldn’t take it anymore,” explains protester Susan Levi-Peters. “They were being pushed towards the cruisers-side and they wanted to go towards where the chief and council were.”
A man from Moncton drove-up for support and says he’s disappointed with the outcome.
“It’s terrible, it’s just absolutely terrible,” says Moncton resident George Jonah. “It looks like a war zone with the RCMP around. My gracious, I don’t know who is paying for it all but they didn’t need this kind of stuff I don’t think.”
At this point several roads are still closed and RCMP are telling motorists to expect delays.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s David Bell
