Photo: The Canadian Press

A First Nation leader says 14 people were arrested Monday night at a blockade outside New Hazelton on territory that neighbours the Wet'suwet'en Nation.

Hereditary Chief Spookwx of the Gitxsan Nation said Tuesday that three other hereditary chiefs were also taken into custody as the RCMP broke up the demonstration on a CN Rail line in northern British Columbia.

A similar blockade was set up by the Gitxsan earlier this month and removed as a show of good faith Feb. 13, but Spookwx says the protest resumed because the RCMP have not acted quickly enough to leave the Wet'suwet'en's traditional territory where a natural gas pipeline is under construction.

Elsewhere in B.C., anti-pipeline protests blocked an intersection that serves as a key entry point to the port of Vancouver, and a group of protesters remained at the B.C. legislature.

Commuter rail service was moving again between Vancouver and the Fraser Valley after demonstrators blocked rail tracks late Monday afternoon, saying they were acting in support of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs opposed to the Coastal GasLink pipeline.

Following his arrest on Monday night, Spookwx says supporters blocked Highway 16, the main route through the region, until about 3:30 a.m. when all 14 people who had been arrested were released by the Mounties.

Spookwx, who also goes by Norm Stephens, says First Nations across Canada must act together as sovereignty issues raised by the construction of the pipeline are addressed because "their rights are ultimately at risk here."

"The First Peoples of Canada should be treated with respect," he added.