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Authorities used rubber-coated steel bullets, concussion grenades, tear gas, and water cannons against unarmed protesters near the Dakota Access oil pipeline in 26°F (-3°C) temperatures over the weekend.
Indian Country Today reports
"We have seen four gunshot wounds, three of them to the face and head", said Leland Brenholt, a volunteer medic.
[...]400 protesters, or "water protectors", attempted to dismantle a police-enforced barricade on State Highway 1806.
[...]"Water protectors are done with the military-style barricades. We are done with the floodlights and the armored military trucks. We are are done with it!" declared organizer, Dallas Goldtooth in a mid-evening Facebook post.
Their action was met with the same militarized response that the Morton County Sheriff's Department has demonstrated on protesters for weeks: the use of armored trucks, less-than-lethal ammunition, tear-gas, mace, and on this below-freezing night, water cannons.
[...]Reports from a coalition of advocacy groups near Standing Rock report hundreds of water protectors were receiving treatment for contamination by tear gas, hypothermia, and blunt traumas as a result of rubber bullets. One person, an elder, was reportedly revived after suffering cardiac arrest, organizers said.
"As medical professionals, we are concerned for the real risk of loss of life due to severe hypothermia under these conditions," read a statement from the Standing Rock Medic and Healer Council.
A more measured take is available from the AP.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Thexalon on Wednesday November 23 2016, @06:34PM
This situation is different, because this is a Native nation's land, so they have substantial rights that an ordinary private citizen or organization wouldn't have. Of course, what often happened when Natives were given rights to land is that the US government takes it away whenever it's convenient. Which is precisely what happened here.
And, I have to say, as much as I agree with the protesters in this case, they're absolutely screwed: All the public officials who could stop the pipeline have made it abundantly clear that they won't. And yes, that includes officials in both parties: Obama is noticeably silent about what's going on (ongoing and continuous use of force by police and private thugs^Wsecurity guards against people who aren't committing crimes, among other things), and Trump has made it clear he wants more pipelines and drilling.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by Kromagv0 on Wednesday November 23 2016, @08:44PM
If it is true that the pipeline is going across the reservation then the tribe has every right to seize all equipment in use on the land if they haven't gotten permission. I'm not sure that is the case having seen stories stating that it is and isn't. to further muddy things there is the river and often in treaties access and usage of nearby water is also negotiated.
T-Shirts and bumper stickers [zazzle.com] to offend someone