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IPFS News Link • Activism

Native American Protesters Halt Construction On Dakota Access Pipeline

• http://wearechange.org

MORTON COUNTY — Work stopped Tuesday at the site where hundreds of Standing Rock Sioux tribal members and supporters are protesting construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline near the reservation boundary.

The work stoppage gave law enforcement, tribal and state officials time to plan how to manage the protest, with numbers swelling by the hour as busloads of Sioux and others arriving to join the anti-pipeline movement. Arrests are occurring almost daily.

Workers were instructed to leave their equipment late Monday after youthful protesters walked onto the work site and surrounded the machinery. Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said the mix of people around the machinery caused him to stop work until an improved plan for safety could be developed.

Kirchmeier said he didn't know whether work would resume because some options were still in flux Tuesday evening. One option was for the private landowner to allow his fence to be moved back into his property to give protesters more room to assemble off the highway.

Kirchmeier met with Standing Rock Sioux officials in the morning and with state officials at the governor's office Tuesday afternoon before returning to the department headquarters to brief patrol on how and when work will continue.

Ideally, there would be ample room to move the hundreds of cars, pickups and enforcement vehicles off the roadway, too, he said.

About 28 people have been arrested since last week, including tribal chairman Dave Archambault, and charged with disorderly conduct for trying to block access to the work site. The tribal members are protesting the pipeline's crossing of the Missouri River near the reservation boundary for fear it will rupture and contaminate their water, water downstream and disrupt sacred historic sites.

The sheriff confirmed that a federal court judge — at the request of Dakota Access Pipeline — signed a restraining order against previously arrested protesters from returning to the pipeline location.

In a situation of historical irony, after the work shutdown, law enforcement pulled back from the protest site on Highway 1806 to a communication command center at Fort Lincoln State Park. The park preserves the fort from which the cavalry and Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer left to never return after a fatal battle against the Sioux. A replica of Custer's captured flag was flying among others representing some of the 25 to 30 estimated tribes that have arrived to support Standing Rock since the protest started last week.

Another reason to pull back toward Mandan was to get into range of reliable cell phone service. Many at the protest scene believe cell towers are being purposely jammed to prevent communication, but North Dakota Highway Patrol Cap. Eric Pederson said there is no truth to the rumor.


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