Armed Police Clash with Protesters as the Situation in North Dakota Intensifies

Police are using armored vehicles, tasers, percussion grenades and sound canons to try and disperse the protesters.

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Alexandra Jacobo
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UPDATE 10/28/16: The standoff has spilled into Friday morning, with 141 Native Americans and other protestors being arrested as of this point.

The situation is North Dakota erupted today as water protectors protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline clashed with police.

Over one hundred police in riot gear arrived at the camps today to start removing the water protectors and take down the camp and barricades they had set up. Police assembled in a line and demanded that the protesters, who were standing in the path of the pipeline’s construction, move. Anyone that refused was arrested.

Authorities also removed the roadblocks that protesters had set up, saying that the water protectors are “trespassing” on private land. They have brought in reinforcements from seven other states to help remove people.

Meanwhile, most of mainstream media is either completely ignoring the situation, or in the case of CNN, running articles headlined “Pipeline protesters set fires.”

Police are using armored vehicles, tasers, percussion grenades and sound canons to try and disperse the protesters.

Protesters are attempted to block the state highway with their bodies, vehicles, and at one point a fire tire, in order to prevent police from advancing.

This frontline camp sits directly in the proposed path of the Dakota Access pipeline on land purchased recently by the Dakota Access pipeline company. However, according to the water protectors, a 1851 treaty declares the entire area unceded sovereign land under control of the Sioux.

120 people were arrested last weekend in their attempt to march and establish the frontline camp. Police used tear gas and rubber bullets to shoot down drones the water protecters were using to document police activity.

Meanwhile, Mayors from several U.S. cities have called on the White House to halt the Dakota Access Pipeline in order to complete a full environmental and cultural review:

The Dakota Access pipeline, should it be completed, would be a 1,172-mile pipeline that would run through Native American burial and prayer sites.

Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have declined to support the Dakota pipeline protesters, showing us that if either of them wins come November, the elite will continue to exploit and oppress us.

This is NOT what democracy looks like.

Tell the Obama Administration to Abandon the Dakota Access Pipeline

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Alexandra Jacobo
Alexandra Jacobo is a dedicated progressive writer, activist, and mother with a deep-rooted passion for social justice and political engagement. Her journey into political activism began in 2011 at Zuccotti Park, where she supported the Occupy movement by distributing blankets to occupiers, marking the start of her earnest commitment to progressive causes. Driven by a desire to educate and inspire, Alexandra focuses her writing on a range of progressive issues, aiming to foster positive change both domestically and internationally. Her work is characterized by a strong commitment to community empowerment and a belief in the power of informed public action. As a mother, Alexandra brings a unique and personal perspective to her activism, understanding the importance of shaping a better world for future generations. Her writing not only highlights the challenges we face but also champions the potential for collective action to create a more equitable and sustainable world.

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