Winnipeg may lift the ban following indigenous murders, the court rules

A Canada court has allowed police to remove a blockade of a landfill site by protesters demanding action over the murders of two indigenous women. Demonstrators began blocking the entrance to the rubbish dump in Winnipeg, Manitoba, about a week ago. They are demanding another landfill be searched for two murder victims, but Manitoba officials have said picking through the other tip would take years and cost millions, with no guarantee of finding any bodies. The demonstrators' blockade has forced the city to shut down its Brady landfill. Police suspect that the waste tip contains the remains of Morgan Beatrice Harris, 39, and Marcedes Myran, 26. Both women, members of the Long Plain First Nation, are among four indigenous women believed to have been killed by Jeremy Skibicki, who was charged last December with four counts of first-degree murder. The city of Winnipeg ordered protesters to dismantle the blockade of the Brady landfill by last Monday. When the demonstrators refused to comply, the city applied for a court injunction, which was granted on Friday. Winnipeg police have been given authority to enforce the temporary injunction. The protesters vowed they would not be budged outside court, stating they wanted their sisters dug up from an inappropriate burial site. Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson stands by her decision not to search the Prairie Green landfill, citing the health and safety of workers who would have to sift through the debris. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller called the decision "heartless." The search would take three years and cost up to C$184m ($135m; £109m), carrying "considerable risks" due to exposure to toxic chemicals and no guarantee of finding the women.


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