Police Make More Arrests As They Raid Dakota Access Protest Camp For Second Day
Posted in: Today's ChiliCANNON BALL, N.D. — Officers arrested about 20 Dakota Access Pipeline protesters on Thursday after they defied a Wednesday deadline to leave the camp.
Roughly 50 “water protectors” had remained in Oceti Sakowin camp before law enforcement swept in to apprehend some of the holdouts. Authorities appeared to restrain protesters with plastic handcuffs before placing them inside utility track vehicles that carried detainees up a hill.
Officials had also driven bulldozers and armored vehicles into the camp on federal lands near the Standing Rock Sioux’s reservation and a disputed section of the pipeline.
The camp has for months served as a base for protests against the pipeline, which the Sioux and their supporters argue violates their treaty rights and could contaminate their water source. The Morton County sheriff’s department has arrested more than 700 protesters since last summer.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) and the Army Corps of Engineers had ordered the camp to be emptied by Wednesday afternoon. They cited health and safety risks, as the area will likely flood from melting snow and possibly pollute nearby rivers with debris and waste from the camp.
Authorities also arrested “approximately 10” people on Wednesday after the deadline passed to vacate the site.
Photographer Josh Morgan contributed reporting from North Dakota.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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