Judge tells Ontario to end Caledonia dispute talks

An Ontariojudge is calling on the province to cease negotiations with the Six Nations community until land-claims protesters stop occupying a construction site near Caledonia in southern Ontario.

In a Cayuga court Tuesday, Judge David Marshallalsotold the province's attorney general to prosecute anyone that refuses to leave the land in violation ofa five-month-old court order.

Marshallcalled theongoing dispute asad state of affairs because security had been replaced by lawlessness, with protesters donning fatigues and police officers in riot gear.

But a Six Nations spokesperson told the CBC that the protesters have no intention of leaving the site and questioned whether the judge has jurisdiction over the matter.

In response, Premier Dalton McGuinty said the province needs time to carefully consider thejudge's rulingandhe wants to speak with Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the dispute.

"Last time I spoke to him about this we were both in agreement that the best place for our governments to be is at the table," said McGuinty.

The premier hopes this latest development will not affect the progress that has been made to this point.

Marshallhas criticized the police and the provincefor failing to obeyan injunctionissuedon March 10to removeprotestersfrom the site.

Theinjunction was issued at the request of the company that then owned the site,Henco Industries, but the protesters refused to leave.

Protesters have occupied the Douglas Creek Estates housing development site just outside Caledonia since Feb. 28, when a small group of people from the Six Nations reserve moved onto the site in a land-claims dispute.

Tensions erupt over long weekend

Marshall'scontroversial commentscame on the heels of escalated tensions over the long weekend between Caledonia residents and Six Nations demonstrators.

Violence broke out early Monday morning, with some residents and demonstrators throwing rocks and golf balls at each other. Police said tensions had been building during the day, with several small incidents leading to the clash.

Steve Tong, who lives in Caledonia,said the demonstrators erected a new camp close to the neighbourhood, lit a fire and set up two warrior flags.

Six Nations spokeswoman Janie Jamieson blamed Caledonia residents for the violence, saying they wanted to influence the judge's decision.

Tong said the incident was the result of simmering tensions. He said people in Caledonia think the demonstrators have been holding the community hostage with their occupation.

When they began occupying the land in February, thedemonstrators saidit had been taken from aboriginal people about 200 years earlier. Conflicts between protesters and Caledonia residents flared after the protestersset up several road barricades thatwere later removed.

In June, in a bid to help resolve the dispute, the province bought the land containing the site, which includes some half-finished homes.