Protesters from Climate Direct Action,who claim solidarity with the anti-DAPL protesters, broke into pipeline facilities in Washington, Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana earlier this week. They trespassed, cut locks to enter the facilities, racheted through chains, twisted the valves, and locked them shut. They claim they notified emergency responders 15 minutes in advance of closing the valves.
This time, no oil spilled. But abruptly closing a valve on a oil pipeline has caused pipelines to burst on at least nine other occasions, according to a Government Accounting Office report, causing spills as large as 160,000 gallons.
The protesters filmed their actions and nine of them including the filmmaker, face felony and misdemeanor charges that include conspiracy, criminal mischief, and trespass.
This sudden escalation of tactics comes after the Federal Court refused to block already-authorized construction of the Dakota Access (DAPL) crude oil pipeline, which could carry oil from the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota to a refinery in Illinois. Two federal agencies renewed their request that DAPL voluntarily refrain from construction within 20 miles of the Missouri River while they continue their after-the-fact review of the project.
In response, hundreds of anti-DAPL protesters in North Dakota occupied privately owned lands earlier this week, blocking pipeline construction. Hundreds of police responded, including officers from as far away as Wisconsin, and arrested 29, including Hollywood’s “Divergent” actress, Shailene Woodley.
Police complain that the pipeline protests have become increasingly aggressive, and have asked neighboring jurisdictions to assist.
The North Dakota police called this week’s protest a “riot,” while the protesters called it a group prayer.
Sioux Chair Dave Archambault said the tribe doesn't support what he described as "verbal violence" by masked protesters caught on video threatening a KFYR-TV news crew with bodily harm during the protest at a Dakota Access construction site on Monday.
"We're trying to be peaceful and prayerful," he said, adding, "That doesn't help our cause."
Archambault said he doesn't know who the masked protesters were, and he didn't talk to anyone at the camp about it.
"I just know what I saw was not right," he said.
The North Dakota Governor claimed in an interview this week that Archambault told him he has lost control of the protesters.
Archambault denied it, but he is now seeking to close the existing multiple camps of protesters and possibly consolidate them onto tribal lands. Some protesters are resisting the Standing Rock Tribe’s efforts.
Cody Hall, a member of South Dakota's Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and spokesman for the Red Warrior, said many of the roughly 1,500 campers are aren't waiting for a decision from Standing Rock.
"Some people are saying forget it, we're going to do our own things.”
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