Police raid First Nation protesters

HAMILTON, Ontario, April 21 (UPI) -- A police raid to remove occupiers from a disputed tract of land in Ontario ended with more than 200 people from the Six Nations reserve regaining control.

The Ontario Provincial Police had received a court order giving them authority to decide whether -- and when -- to evict the protesters, police officers said.

After violence broke out, Premier Dalton McGuinty was questioned about what role his cabinet might have played in the decision to raid, the Toronto Globe & Mail reported.

"Now, when we have reports of massive tire fires, pepper spray, Taser gun use, helicopters and fighting, can you tell us, after a year of inaction by your government, what are your government's plans to carry on with those talks that you say have been going on for some time?" asked Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory.

McGuinty responded that the Indians have regarded his government as a minor player.

"They insist on being dealt with as a nation," he said. "They want to deal with the government of Canada on a nation-to-nation basis."

A statement from Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine called on the federal government to intervene.