Mary Annette Pember: Water protectors rounded up for praying


Law enforcement made a strong showing of force in response to a prayer gathering of #NoDAPL resisters on September 28, 2016. Photo by Rob Wilson Photography [GoFundMe]

Independent journalist Mary Annette Pember is on the ground of the #NoDAPL movement. Here's her latest report detailing the arrests of another 21 people by law enforcement in North Dakota:
In what appeared to be a loosely organized action, about 150 protectors stopped at two pipeline construction sites near the community of St. Anthony. At the first site, they placed prayer ties and tobacco on the earth in and around the empty ditch that will hold pipeline. Helicopters buzzed low overhead, and at one point a crop-dusting plane dropped material uncomfortably close to the crowd.

. . .

Two helicopters, a plane and several police vehicles followed the long caravan of cars, horse trailers, vans and pick-up trucks as they made their way to the two locations. At the second site, protectors parked along a roughly graded road and made their way down to the construction site where, according to witnesses, no workers were present. Protectors told Indian Country Today that about 20 police officers were waiting for them when they approached the second site to pray.

Public secondary roads in this area of North Dakota are often little more than roughly graded gravel roads. Poorly marked, they seem to merge seamlessly into private land, making it difficult to determine whether one is walking on public or private property.

The road leading directly to the second stopping point for the protectors was such a site. Although there were two signs indicating the land was “posted,” or private, it was unclear whether the roadway was also private. According to police, that was why after their prayers, protectors were met with a large contingent of armored vehicles as well as heavily armed police from various jurisdictions.

Read More on the Story:
Mary Annette Pember: Water Protectors Rounded Up After Prayers at DAPL Construction Site (Indian Country Today 9/29)

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