Developing: 100+ Militarized Police Raiding #NoDAPL Resistance Camp Blocking Pipeline’s Path
Including from Democracy Now!, as well as the radio program "Native America Calling," (which just devoted most of its news of the month review to the NoDAPL# protests), MSNBC, and NPR news, reports have come in of rubber bullets being used by police against a Native American water protectors' drone, as well as shot at horses belonging to Native American water protectors, and even a Native American water protector horseback rider.
The FAA has declared a no fly zone in the area -- grounding the Native American water protectors' sole drone (owned and operated by Dr0ne2BWild Photography & Video, a Standing Rock Sioux Tribe member's business). However, large numbers of law enforcement aircraft -- a ubiquitous yellow helicopter (being dangerously used to harass and intimidate Native American water protectors on horseback by swooping down at low altitude), fixed wing planes, and multiple drones.
Reports have also come in of police use of bean bag rounds, Tasers, smoke/concussion/stun grenades, MACE, tear gas, and pepper spray, against the Native American water protectors themselves. Native American water protectors have reported police armed with assault rifles, being aimed directly at people. One Native American water protector described the MACE cans being fired at Native American water protectors as being as large as fire extinguishers.
On Democracy Now!, Tara Houska of Honor the Earth described police officers smiling and laughing as Native American water protectors were being injured by violent police tactics. Houska described a ricocheting bean bag round nearly hitting her in the head.
The police tactics are being described as "severe aggression," "severe force," "violent attack," "all out war," and "police were actively trying to hurt people."
Dozens of Native American water protectors reportedly have suffered severe bruises, and even broken bones. An image is circulating of a young Native American water protector with a severely bruised face, allegedly shot with a bean bag round.
A caller-in to "Native America Calling" has described her relative having her wrist broken by a police baton; the officer then forcefully dragged the young Native American woman water protector, further injuring her arms (in an earlier action, last weekend).
The police forces, numbering more than 100 officers (NPR has reported 200), from multiple states, are militarized. They are dressed in full riot gear, and wielding batons. They have deployed "multiple mine-resistant ambush protected military vehicles (MRAPs), a sound cannon, an armored truck and a bulldozer." Scores of police vehicles, as well as National Guard Humvees, have been described by Native American water protectors.
The sound cannon is called a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD, pronounced L-RAD). Its piercing shriek makes people sick. It is a sound weapons designed to disperse crowds.
It has also been reported:
"There have also been reports from water protectors that the police presence includes multiple snipers. Police appear to be evicting the camp in order to clear the way for the Dakota Access pipeline company to continue construction — which was active at times on Thursday just behind the police line."
(One call-in to "Native America Calling," an eye witness to the police violence, also mentioned there are rumors that live rounds -- not rubber bullets -- were fired at a Native American horseback water defender.)
The construction of the Dakota Access Pipe Line (DAPL) taking place immediately behind the militarized police lines is one sacred Standing Rock Sioux Tribe lands, as recognized by the treaty signed by the U.S. government in 1851. The construction is on the very site where attack dogs were sicced on Native American water protectors on Labor Day weekend, biting several people, including a pregnant woman and child. The water protectors were trying to stop the desecration of numerous sacred sites, including burial sites, as well as sites of deep religious and cultural significance. Energy Transfer Partners used the revelation of the location of the sites the previous day, in U.S. federal court in Washington, D.C., by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, as a roadmap to destroy those very sacred sites. Energy Transfer Partners rushed construction equipment, including industrial bulldozens, some 20 miles from the west, to make moot the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's legal arguments that sacred sites would be destroyed, by actually destroying those sites, in a great big hurry. This very location is where the militarized police are forcibly removing -- through 140 arrests, and counting -- a resistance encampment of Native American water protectors.
As reported by MSNBC just now: 140 Native American water protectors have been arrested since yesterday, with resistance and arrests continuing into the early morning hours last night. Images broadcast by MSNBC showed police hitting protestors with batons, as well as tackling and physically handcuffing them MSNBC also played video and audio showing the sound cannon truck being used -- emitting a high-pitched shriek, painful to the human ear -- to disperse the Native American water protectors.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe chairman, Dave Archambault II, has called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the excessive use of police force against peaceful, prayerful Native American water protectors. In a Democracy Now! interview, he even indicated he may call upon the United Nations for help.
A caller-in to "Native America Calling" described Native American water protectors in a sacred sweat lodge ceremony being ripped out by police and arrested. Similarly, elders engaging in a prayer ceremony were MACEd.
Chairman Archambault told Democracy Now! that he knew something bad was coming, when he saw State of North Dakota authorities setting up a pre-hospital tent in the area. He said that while the state government was willing to engage in negotiations with the Native American water protectors, and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the company -- Energy Transfer Partners -- was not. The ongoing construction of the Dakota Access Pipe Line, defended by a not so small army of law enforcement officers, has resulted in the police violence.
October 28, 2016