Monday, December 5, 2016

Pipeline Protesters to Defy Deadline

[NATL] Activists Protest North Dakota Pipeline at Standing Rock AFTER MAJOR VICTORY, PIPELINE PROTESTORS TO DEFY DEADLINE




The Army Corps of Engineers refused Sunday to grant Energy Transfer Partners permission to extend the pipeline beneath a Missouri River reservoir.

Protesters celebrated a major victory in their push to reroute the Dakota Access oil pipeline away from a tribal water source but pledged to remain camped on federal land in North Dakota anyway, despite Monday's government deadline to leave.

Hundreds of people at the Oceti Sakowin, or Seven Council Fires, encampment cheered and chanted "mni wichoni" — "water is life" in Lakota Sioux — after the Army Corps of Engineers refused Sunday to grant the company permission to extend the pipeline beneath a Missouri River reservoir.

The Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its supporters argue that extending the project beneath Lake Oahe would threaten the tribe's water source and cultural sites. The segment is the last major sticking point for the four-state, $3.8 billion project.

"The whole world is watching," said Miles Allard, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux. "I'm telling all our people to stand up and not to leave until this is over." 

Despite the deadline, authorities say they won't forcibly remove the protesters.

The company constructing the pipeline, Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, released a statement Sunday night slamming the Army Corps' decision as politically motivated and alleging that President Obama's administration was determined to delay the matter until he leaves office.

"The White House's directive today to the Corps for further delay is just the latest in a series of overt and transparent political actions by an administration which has abandoned the rule of law in favor of currying favor with a narrow and extreme political constituency," the company said. 

President-elect Donald Trump, a pipeline supporter who has reportedly invested in both Energy Transfer Partners and another company involved with the pipeline, will take office in January, although it wasn't immediately clear what steps his administration would be able to take to reverse the Army Corps' latest decision or how quickly that could happen. 

 [NATL] Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Jackson Join Pipeline ProtestersActor Mark Ruffalo and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson join Native American protesters attempting to block construction of Dakota Access Pipeline. "The irony is they sent Native Americans out on these reservations to perish, only to find that there was great wealth beneath the soil," Jackson said.
Industry group the MAIN Coalition, which is made up of agriculture, business and labor entities that benefit from Midwest infrastructure projects, said it hoped Trump would take action.

That uncertainty, Allard said, is part of the reason the protesters won't leave.

"We don't know what Trump is going to do," Allard said. 
Assistant Secretary for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy said in a news release that her decision was based on the need to "explore alternate routes" for the pipeline's crossing. Her full decision doesn't rule out that it could cross under the reservoir or north of Bismarck. 

"Although we have had continuing discussion and exchanges of new information with the Standing Rock Sioux and Dakota Access, it's clear that there's more work to do," Darcy said. "The best way to complete that work responsibly and expeditiously is to explore alternate routes for the pipeline crossing." 

North Dakota's leaders criticized the decision, with Gov. Jack Dalrymple calling it a "serious mistake" that "prolongs the dangerous situation" of having several hundred protesters who are camped out on federal land during cold, wintry weather. U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer said it's a "very chilling signal" for the future of infrastructure in the United States.

"I’m encouraged we will restore law and order next month, when we get a president who will not thumb his nose at the rule of law," Cramer said in a statement to Politico.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Sunday that the Department of Justice will "continue to monitor the situation" and stands "ready to provide resources to help all those who can play a constructive role in easing tensions." 

Standing Rock Sioux tribal chairman Dave Archambault said Monday that the tribe "will be forever grateful to the Obama administration" for the Army Corps of Engineers' decision.

Archambault said the Corps' decision "took tremendous courage" and he hoped Energy Transfer Partners, and the incoming Trump administration will respect that decision.

Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier, whose department has done much of the policing for the protests, said that "local law enforcement does not have an opinion" on the easement and that his department will continue to "enforce the law." 

U.S. Secretary for the Interior Sally Jewell said in a statement that the Corps' "thoughtful approach ... ensures that there will be an in-depth evaluation of alternative routes for the pipeline and a closer look at potential impacts." 

Earlier Sunday, an organizer with Veterans Stand for Standing Rock said tribal elders had asked the military veterans not to have confrontations with law enforcement officials, adding the group is there to help out those who've dug in against the project. 

About 250 veterans gathered about a mile from the main camp for a meeting with organizer Wes Clark Jr., the son of former Democratic presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark. The group had said about 2,000 veterans were coming, but it wasn't clear how many actually arrived. 

"We have been asked by the elders not to do direct action," Wes Clark Jr. said. He added that the National Guard and law enforcement have armored vehicles and are armed, warning: "If we come forward, they will attack us."  Instead, he told the veterans, "If you see someone who needs help, help them out." 

Some veterans will take part in a prayer ceremony Monday, during which they'll apologize for historical detrimental conduct by the military toward Native Americans and ask for forgiveness, Clark said. He also called the veterans' presence "about right and wrong and peace and love." 

Authorities moved a blockade from the north end of the Backwater Bridge with the conditions that protesters stay south of it and come there only if there is a prearranged meeting. Authorities also asked protesters not to remove barriers on the bridge, which they have said was damaged in the late October conflict that led to several people being hurt, including a serious arm injury. 

"That heavy presence is gone now and I really hope in this de-escalation they'll see that, and in good faith . the leadership in those camps will start squashing the violent factions," Cass County Sheriff Paul Laney said in a statement, reiterating that any violation will "will result in their arrest." 

Steven Perry, a 66-year-old Vietnam veteran who's a member of the Little Traverse Bay band of Odawa Indians in Michigan, spoke of one of the protesters' main concerns: that the pipeline could pollute drinking water. "This is not just a native issue," he said, "This is an issue for everyone."


Source: After Major Victory, Pipeline Protesters to Defy Deadline | NBC4 Washington http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/Dakota-Access-Pipeline-Denied-near-sioux-reservation-404636436.html?via=newsletter&source=CSAMedition#ixzz4RzCFpCIw
Follow us: @nbcwashington on Twitter | NBCWashington on Facebook

 

More Newsletters

Police Clash With Pipeline Protesters

In this video, law enforcement clashes with demonstrators protesting the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota, Nov. 20, 2016. Authorities defended their use of water hoses, against both fire and protesters, in the freezing weather. An explosion that occurred during the clash injured the arm of a protester, who was in serious condition and undergoing surgery. (Published Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Stop making up lies. Trump supports the pipeline finding an alternate route he said, IF it is unnecessarily violating human rights and only under that condition. The pipeline is a vital part of current energy requirements.

I have spoken on this issue before too. It is absolutely clear that, the North Dakota pipeline could find an alternative route if needed. The Army Corp of Engineers have said that countless times!

More vital to recognize, they understand they are nothing but corporate employees so thus not even a real government. They are massively outgunned, and Trump doesn't want this to end bad.

The key here is, whether people choose to recognize this or not there is a requirement for oil consumption under our laws. We cannot subsidize wind energy, we cannot subsidize anything else quickly enough to make any difference today on what's coming.

Now, I have spoken about the fact I do not support the Sioux.
I do not support them because they have called on the United Nations to intervene, and I don't want those idiots anywhere near U.S. soil. And to me anyone who calls on the UN is...not to be trusted.

I have said multiple times regarding Standing Rock. The Native Americans there are continous in protesting only this issue, but for some reason they don't seem to care about any other issues. They do not ever protest when the first amendment is about to be killed off, the destruction of Habeus Corpus in Michigan doesn't seem to bother them, they will not protest #pizzagate allegations, police misconduct doesn't bother them and I have never heard a member of the Sioux nation stand up and shout about geoengineering.

Now why is this? Why have they not done so? I can't put a clear picture together about why these issues don't matter to them. However, the Sioux tribe ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE does complain and file federal lawsuits about the North Dakota Pipeline.

If that is all which bothers them, well then they are one selfish tribe. In either case, it is not the federal (fake) government's job to be involved. So I have called repeatedly for them to just plan an alternate route, like it or not there has to be a pipeline.
This isn't a matter of choice anymore since we don't have much time and a pipeline in North Dakota or Alaska is better than not having the lights turned on. No energy companies will be ready quickly enough, so regardless we're going to have to drill.

Anonymous said...

Also the Clark family are notorious thieves and crooks.
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Articles8/DVNS_Wesley-Clark.htm
I don't understand nor can reason why anyone can support them.

marie said...

So what you are saying is that THE POWERS THAT BE are behind this movement and the GOD forsaken UNITED NATIONS THAT WE WANT OUT OF THIS COUNTY!!! I would agree with you. YOU ARE RIGHT! Why aren't they protesting GEOENGINEERING-GMO'S-FLUORIDE WHICH HAS BEEN IN THE WATER SINCE THE EARLY 1940'S STARTING WITH THE STATE OF MICHIGAN-CLIMATE CHANGE FRAUD [WHY IS TRUMP MEETING WITH AL GORE TODAY?]-POISONOUS FERTILIZERS/glyphosate et al-AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. By reouting the pipeline away from the water supply and sacred lands. We do need energy. I supported the the Native Americans until I heard that most of them supported Hillary Clinton. That is very suspicious and dumb.

Anonymous said...

Author said: North Dakota's leaders criticized the decision, with Gov. Jack Dalrymple calling it a "serious mistake" that "prolongs the dangerous situation" of having several hundred protesters who are camped out on federal land during cold, wintry weather.

It is unlawful for the Federal Government to own this land. It belongs to the Indians or the state.

This is crazy what is going on in N.D. as there will be no need for this oil in the future as we will no longer be using oil within about four years. If you don't know what I'm talking about you are not keeping up on what is happening in the world.

Wind, oil, gas, solar and nuclear are all obsolete. Alternative energy is our future with devises ready to come to market as soon as oil companies and governments stop killing people when they do.

These Indians have a treaty with the federal government which is being violated again. When will America honor its Treaties. Our Corporate government signs agreements but do not honor them.

They are suppose to be representing me but they don't. They lie, steal, and worse. I would like to say you're fired. Ken T.

Anonymous said...

Trump or those who associate with him won't be meeting with Al Gore ever again because they'll be under arrest.

Al Gore is a globalist shill for the United Nations.

Anonymous said...

Alternative energy is a pipedream, you are talking about four years from now. The world won't look at all the same four years from now.

There will be so many arrests and so many systems discarded. There will be also so many new tyrannical systems introduced. Some that will be attempted to be forced on people. To think that alternative energy will be part of it is a pipe dream.

You're looking at five years before alternates start being used that make a difference. Right now, at current time only the only resource to fall back on is oil. So drilling for oil wherever it can be found is just part of the program.

Anonymous said...

I supported the the Native Americans until I heard that most of them supported Hillary Clinton.

The problem in America is education. It seems that the people with the least education voted for Hillary. Hillary once said that "the liberals were easy to control". They just don't know any better.

God said goats on the left and sheep on the right so it looks like he got it right. Ken T.