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posted by martyb on Sunday October 30 2016, @11:26AM   Printer-friendly
from the peaceful-protest-vs-armed-protest dept.

Catholic Online reports

On Thursday [October 27], the Bundy gang of ranchers who took over a federal building in Oregon and led a 41-day standoff were acquitted on all charges. At least five of the seven surviving militia members will now walk free from federal custody as a result. Ammon Bundy will not be released however because he still faces charges in Nevada over the standoff at his father's ranch two years ago. His brother, Ryan Bundy also remains in custody. An eighth member of their gang was killed by police when the standoff drew to an end.

[...]The Bundy gang also staged their occupation on sacred Native American land. This cannot be condoned; it would be like legitimizing the armed takeover of a parish church.

[...]At the same time the Bundy gang was being acquitted, heavily armed paramilitary-police moved into the crowds at Cannonball, North Dakota gassing and arresting protesters. The key difference in this case is [that] the protesters in North Dakota are peaceful and unarmed.

[...] During Thursday's protest, a fire broke out at the site and police moved in with riot gear and military-grade armored vehicles. They attacked the crowd with tear gas, a sound cannon, batons, and bean-bag ammunition. Police are evicting the protesters by force to make way for the pipeline's construction. Protesters have built barricades to keep authorities at bay.

Peoples World continues

[Continues...]

Encampment at Standing Rock cleared; over 140 arrested

Police and those present at the #NoDAPL protest encampment yesterday say that protesters have been cleared from the northern camp along the Cannon Ball River near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. News reports say over 140 people were arrested, and officers used pepper spray against protesters but no serious injuries were reported.

Beginning at 11:15 am MT [PDF], officers moved toward a group of people camping out near highway 1806 near the town of Cannon Ball, ND. According to the Associated Press, some of the officers were in riot gear, some were armed, and they arrived with soldiers driving trucks and military Humvees. They also deployed helicopters and an airplane that monitored them from above.

The Federal Aviation Administration began restricting flights over the area on Tuesday afternoon [October 25], and will continue to do so until Nov. 5, according to the FAA website, which cites "hazards" in the area.

The police operation came the day after the Morton County Sheriff's Department asked protesters to leave the land, [PDF] which is in the path of the Dakota Access Pipeline under construction.

Additionally, over the last several weeks, over 140 "water and land protectors", as those protesting the building of the Dakota Access oil pipeline call themselves, have been arrested during police raids. The mainstream media has remained relatively mum about the human rights violations that have been unfolding at Standing Rock, where the construction of the multi-billion dollar funded Dakota Access Pipeline is underway.

[...] Frustrations continue to rise as [a] media blackout continues.

[...] Many have voiced outrage over the selective coverage being given by the media to such a critical issue.

Update:

Last week, Energy Transfer Partners, the company constructing the Dakota Access Pipeline, voluntarily stopped work at the building site just North of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.

The Army Corps of Engineers has confirmed that the company doesn't have a written easement from the agency to build on Corps property. A Corps spokesperson says that Energy Transfer Partners has filed the paperwork for the easement but it's still under review.

Previous Coverage:
Ammon & Ryan Bundy Arrested in Oregon; One Dead in Shootout with Cops
Militia Occupies Federal Building in Oregon After Rancher Arson Convictions


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 31 2016, @12:54AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 31 2016, @12:54AM (#420725)

    It should be noted that a significant percentage of Trump supporters are more interested in preventing Clinton from winning than they are in "rooting for" Trump in any major way. A Pew Center poll last month found that only 28% of Trump supporters would actually be "excited" if he won, with the largest category (61%) saying they'd merely feel "relieved."

    Obviously there are a scary number of Trump sycophants out there, but they're far outnumbered by people who think they're "choosing the lesser of two evils."

    While I am sympathetic that many do not want Hillary as President, I am having a hard time with people who think that Trump is a viable alternative. So, you don't want Hillary? Fine. Why not choose a third party candidate instead? Let's just have a reality check here. Trump is not a Republican; he has merely found a bunch of useful idiots who haven't yet noticed that he has rebranded the Republican party as the party of Trump.

    Lots of people fantasize about being rich. A significant number of people likely fantasize about how that would enable them to "not live by the rules" most people have to. Frankly, it doesn't surprise me at all that there are a significant number of men who'd just love to be able to grab whatever beautiful woman was around them whenever they wanted. Most would never actually consider such a thing, but for them, Trump gets to "live the dream."

    If this is true then it does not speak at all well of today's Republican party. For everyone's sake, I hope it is not true.

    Maybe? I don't really know. The militant Trump supporters are so confusing to me that it's difficult for me to imagine what goes on inside their heads.

    There are lots of things about this election cycle that I find baffling. It is like the nation I once knew--the country I was born and raised in--has been stood on it's head!

  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Monday October 31 2016, @12:59AM

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 31 2016, @12:59AM (#420728) Journal
    Same goes for the Democrat party here. This would be the election to vote third party.