Opinion

Ivan Star Comes Out: Water protectors treated like terrorists

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Riot police in Morton County, North Dakota. Photo by Standing Rock Rising

Law enforcement considers peaceful protest terrorism
By Ivan F. Star Comes Out
Native Sun News Today Columnist
nativesunnews.today

The Emergency Management Assistance Compact was formed in 1996. This compact is an agreement between states enabling them “to share their resources during natural and manmade disasters, including terrorism.” Via this compact, the Morton Country Sheriff sent out a call for help to deal with the peaceful protest camp.

South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Montana, Indiana, Ohio, and Wyoming, responded with “law officers” and military combat vehicles like MRAPs (Mine-Resistant Ambush Vehicles) and Humvees (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) with which an armed assault was conducted on the peaceful camp of mostly Native Americans at the Cannonball River and Missouri River confluence.

I recall a major media commentator explaining that the “terrorism” cited in the compact refers to terrorism of the magnitude of 9-11. As usual, this “lawman” manipulated his man-made laws to his benefit. Consequently, violence erupted at the peaceful protest camp on Thursday (10-27-2016) under cover of a media and internet blackout.

Hundreds of videos were posted from the “front lines” of this armed operation only after the blackout was lifted. Personally, I say it can be classified as derisory since it was against unarmed people who were doing their best to protect water for millions with prayer and ceremony.

I cannot even begin to calculate the overtime paid to the hundreds of state Highway Patrol troopers and deputies. One armored Humvee cost upwards of $200.000 in 2011. One MRAP, used by the Marine Corps, cost upward of $500.000, easily.

The Humvee saw its first combat action in Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989. It was used throughout the Gulf Wars and after surviving many combat operations abroad, the Humvee saw “action” again here on the Standing Rock Reservation against peaceful Native American demonstrators.

Images resonant of the 1800s come to mind. The ancestors of these modern-day “lawmen” had waged war on indigenous people because they wanted their land and gold. They did not hesitate to use the latest developments in weaponry. For example, Four Hotchkiss cannons were used to massacre the pneumonia-stricken Spotted Elk (Big Foot) and his small group of men, women and children.