The RCMP turned away two people attempting to cross the police checkpoint along the Morice West Forest Service Road southwest of Houston without showing identification.
Last month, the RCMP established a checkpoint at the 27-kilometre point on the forest service road to control access to an area blockaded by a group of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and thier supporters. On Jan. 3 the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs issued an "eviction notice" to contractors working on the Coast GasLink natural gas pipeline through the area, despite a B.C. Supreme Court injunction ordering the group to clear any obstructions. Police later found stacks of tires, kindling and fuel on the road, along with trees cut and left in a dangerous condition.
The RCMP said people delivering food or supplies to the Unist'ot'en camp near the blockade would be allowed in, as long as they show identification.
On Friday, a vehicle with three people in it approached the RCMP checkpoint.
"The driver provided officers her identification, however the female and male passengers refused to do so," an RCMP press release said. "Both passengers in the vehicle were refused entry and remained on the roadway while access was granted to the driver to drop off supplies. As the driver went through the checkpoint, she stopped on the other side. Both the male and female passengers attempted to cross through the checkpoint on foot. They were warned that they would be arrested for obstruction if they attempted to cross."
The male passenger immediately stopped, but the female passenger kept going and police detained her.
"At this point she did not continue to push her way through and turned to walk the other way. The detention immediately ended at that point and the driver returned to take both passengers to the sheltered area at the 27-kilometre mark," the RCMP statement said. "There will be no further action taken by police in this matter."
In Facebook statements, spokespeople for the hereditary chiefs have called the RCMP checkpoint an "unlawful exclusion zone."
