Despite opposition from both provincial and local governments, a group of protesters from an outside community plans to go ahead with a scheduled rally at the site of a simmering native land dispute in Caledonia, Ont.
A couple from the Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill is organizing the weekend rally to protest how they say police have created a two-tiered justice system that allows the native protesters to be lawless.
The rally is expected to include a march on the disputed land, now owned by the province.
David Ramsay, the minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, said the government has asked them to stay away from the disputed site.
"Come to Queen's Park. That's the place to do that, that's the place to protest your government's actions if you disagree," he urged.
He called it "dangerous" for people from a community that's a two-hour drive away to come in and stir up the tense situation.
But Ramsay noted that there's nothing the province can do to keep the protest from going ahead as planned.
Community united against rally
Native protesters and Caledonia residents alike fear the unwelcome rally will disrupt a recent calm and incite violence.
"They don't want this rally to happen," said OPP Sgt. Dave Rektor. "They understand that situations like this that are fuelled by anger and other emotions have resulted in injuries in the past."
The seven-month-long occupation of the land by Six Nations protesters has been marred by violent clashes between residents and protesters.
Haldimand County Mayor Marie Trainer says there's almost a 100 per cent chance that something negative will happen at the rally.
Trainer criticized the group for potentially disrupting a community they have no connection to.
"They're going to go home," she said. "We're still going to be there."
Provincial police plan to take what they call "appropriate precautions" to keep the peace in Caledonia.
Six Nations protesters reacted to the planned rally with disappointment, arguing that they believe they have been peaceful in their protests. They're planning what they call a "potluck for peace" to coincide with they rally.
Native protesters have been occupying the site since Feb. 28, claiming the land was wrongfully taken from them.