water cannon 3
C: @bluefancyshawl on Twitter

The dying days of President Obama’s administration are being deeply shamed by the actions of the authorities against the First Nations and others fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline.

And the extreme violence from the authorities seems to be deteriorating by the day.

There is growing outrage and condemnation as more and more first-hand accounts and footage emerge of water cannons, rubber bullets, tear gas and even stun grenades being used against some 400 water protectors on Sunday night and early yesterday morning.

Some 300 people were hurt after being hit by either water, gas, grenade or rubber bullet. An estimated 27 needed hospital treatment. Reports from legal observers suggest that several people were unconscious having been hit by rubber bullets. There were so many casualties that the local school gymnasium had to be opened for emergency relief.

There are graphic photos online of serious injuries incurred by the protectors. If you want to see the extent of some injuries go here, but the images are distressing.

In freezing temperatures, police fired cold water to prevent the protectors removing blockades on the Backwater Bridge on Highway 1806, near the camps they have been occupying for months. In response, activists lit fires to try and keep their soaking companions warm. This seems to have further inflamed tensions.

Dallas Goldtooth, one of the organisers, said: “Folks have a right to be on a public road. It’s absurd that people who’ve been trying to take down the barricade now have their lives at risk.” He called the Police tactics “an excessive and potentially deadly use of force”.

Indeed, there were harrowing reports of violence against the water protectors:

One activist from the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, Black Elk said, “All of a sudden there were these bright, blinding spotlights, so you could see each other, but you couldn’t see [the police]. Every once in awhile you could hear someone scream who had been hit by a rubber bullet.”

“I was tear gassed over 15 times, which made it hard to breathe and left my face burning for hours,” recalls Cheyenne, a young native woman from Michigan. “I got hosed down with a water cannon in freezing temperatures leaving me hypothermic, and I was slammed into a barbed wire barricade out of panic caused by the police after a flash grenade was thrown and caught fire to a field.”

Another young native man from the Ojibwe nation said “He shot me with a rubber bullet right in the belly button, and when I showed him that he had hurt me, he just smiled and shot both my kneecaps”.

On Sunday night, the Standing Rock Medic and Healer Council called on authorities to stop using water cannons against the protesters, saying the below-freezing weather could cause hypothermia and criticizing the “potentially lethal use of these controversial methods against people peacefully assembled.”

A surgeon with the Healing Council, Jesse Lopez, from Kansas City said: “We are standing back in a state of disbelief. I maybe could see pepper spray, maybe rubber bullets, maybe tear gas, but water cannons? That’s done to inflict deliberate, severe, life-threatening harm.”

As usual, the local sheriff’s office spun a total different story that shows what misinformation the authorities are releasing: “We have not received any reports that can be verified of protesters that were injured.”

 

70 Comments

  • Those “police” are hired mercenaries from the renamed “Blackwater” corporation. They commit atrocities anywhere on the planet.

  • You have stopped the pipeline for the time-being. So stay the fuck back. You deserved everything that happened to you. You are not peacefully protesting. You must think these officers want to be there away from their families. These officers actually feared for their lives.

  • LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT.
    RIOT POLICE FROM 20 AGENCIES ARE INVADING SACRED LAND TO ARREST AMERICAN CITIZENS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, ALL TO HELP A FOREIGN OIL COMPANY POISON OUR FUCKING WATER?!

  • President Obama, please demonstrate to the indigenous peoples and to all Americans that justice and integrity do still exist at even the highest levels of our government. Recall anyone and everyone using any sort of weapons or intimidation against the Native Americans protesting against the proposed route of the pipeline and order the pipeline rerouted to a less damaging location.

  • Kill all those who are responsible for violating human rights in this way! Sorry, this is a primitive and agressive reaction. Can Human Rights Watch, UNESCO or any other organisation not interfere in order to stop this violation of rights of indogenuous people???
    What should have beeen the impact of the statements of President Obama???!?

  • Tell me the difference between this and Tiananmen Square….other than the absence (so far) of tanks? This is absurd, in a country that dares to lecture others on human rights issues.

  • Stop this madness. You are injuring,not only the ones with whom this land is sacred…but you also destroy our environment

  • As an Australian First Nation person I am deeply troubled by the force demonstrated and inflicted upon other peaceful First Nation people. Your methods expose those faced by the Indians led by Gandhi against the British explotaition of Indian labour and Indian products. The greed and corruption that covet Indian nations resources, lands and spiritually significant sites is a reflect on the ills of your nation. The injustice is exposed by the methods used to kill protest and objection and thus exhonerates the water protectors. More people will come and join and fight against injustice through JUST means.

  • I was shocked to find out how much of mutual funds contained pipeline investments.
    The investment in pipelines seem to be separate from oil and gas funds.and mixed with almost all investment packages.
    These seem to be funded by the banks.
    That is where the pressure is.We are all to be blamed. The financial system,companies investors etc.We are all part of the problem.
    It’s not Obama’s problem it’s the investment world and shareholders wanting profit.

  • Clearly the sheriff and Governor Dahlrumple are in the pocket of the corporations. This is an outrage reminiscent of treatment indigenous people received in the 1800s.

    It must stop. NOW.

    ACTIVATE POWER CODES: 5×1, 9×9, 1×5, 13×1, 10×2, 3×1 and all other codes beneficial to the people and situation. ACTIVATE using GOD’s infinite light speed.

    Blessings, grace and goodness to the Protectors. Om.

  • Shameful malfeasance perpetrated by dishonorable militarized police. No excuses. Stand down immediately, halt all action on the pipeline until independent prosecutors can determine whether criminal charges should be brought against the law officers involved, and/or the highest officials in the corporate entities which the police are backing using unconstitutional means intended to deny freedom of speech, freedom to peaceably assemble, and other inalienable human rights of the water protectors.

  • @ Bill – You say the police ‘feared for their lives?’ You are lying moron. Many of the police seem to have enjoyed inflicting pain and suffering on peaceful protesters who are trying to protect water that you’re likely to want to drink too.

  • keep fighting and stay strong people of Standing Rock! we are all with you in spirit and others of us will come sooner or later and pick you back up if you get knocked down in this fight!!!

  • This is such an important fight for the oil companies. If they are forced to stand down they know they will lose the moral right to continue with their pollution of our planet. The protestors are fighting for all of us. Our water around the world is under siege. Standing Rock is a symbol of a much bigger fight we will all be facing if they do not succeed. Everyone needs to stand with them in whatever way they can!

  • Other than posting posts on my facebook feel over whelmed with a sense of powerlessness. …United nations can they intervene ? Its really shocking illegal and vile whats happening …..

  • Bill. You’d rather see your master pleased than achieve victory that is in your interest and will help make your life better. You’re a sellout Bill. (edited comment)

  • To the people saying that they shouldn’t be there – How many pipelines have leaked over the past decade? How much has our planet changed since we’ve intensively drilled/transported oil?
    Oil is the foundation for most wars, so supporting this pipeline is supporting those who corrupt governments globally; You’re essentially supporting your own subjugation, because a justification for potentially deadly-force to unarmed civilians is a stones throw away from enabling martial law or free reign of military personal under government/private control.
    There’s always a hidden agenda, think of the repercussions of justifying billionaires to get more money/power and justifying use of excessive force when the world is turning towards a very dark path in which any room given to corporations/governments is room taken away from us – The citizens of the world.
    Defend your brothers and sisters, because they’re the ones who share the financial, emotional and physical hardships that these corporate and political scumbags inflict on not just you, but generations at a time.

  • I am not happy with the behaviour being demonstrated and have no time for the Blackwater company for various reasons, peaceful protest is often turned into ‘violent’ demonstration’ by the authorities to usurp the protesters cause, unfortunately the only way to beat th9is is passive resistance. May I suggest arming yourselves with camcorders or recording mobile phones so the authorities know they will be caught.

  • I continue to be horrified and frightened by the mounting aggression of police.Have not we caused more then enough damage to the indigenous people and by doing so to us.Wish I had a way to help, but I have told people unless they can bring some value, expertise ,etc to stay away from Standing Rock, they would be more hindrance then help.Am I right? I know how helpless some of us feel and how unaware some folks are of the violence being done to water protectors.Do I am making people more aware.Bless you all and try to stay safe.

  • First of all, to those that are saying they deserved it and aren’t peaceful, do your research and watch the videos. They were peaceful! They weren’t rioting! The sheriff lied! And BILL the Army Corp of Engineers ordered DAPL to stop the drilling but the energy company HAS NOT STOPPED WITH THE DRILLING! The whole time this effect
    Event was going on, they were sneaking in large drill equipment on the hill nearby preparing to drill. And these are not normal police. You can be sure that this sheriff has been paid off by the energy company otherwise he wouldn’t be lying and putting his men at risk of a huge law suit. People almost died. Lives have changed forever. They did nothing wrong. The injuries inflicted are like war wounds. That along with the fact that there was only 1 arrest is proof that they weren’t violent and they weren’t fighting back. Which means they have a will have a huge class Acton lawsuit against them. This was genocide. If you look at the pics, we’ve gone to war in other countries over less and we’re letting it happen to our own people. Right here, on our soil. Innocent, unarmed, peaceful, praying people, tortured for nothing, by the police! Disgusting! I watched it live for 4 hours and then the sheriff says he’s not aware of any injuries, despite ambulance starter ambulance with flashing lights going in and out. Then he’s blind and deaf and shouldn’t be leading the police.

  • We need to stand with The Indigenous people to protect them and our earth. Stop abusing them, and we need to stop taking everything from them. The indigenous people only wants to live and raise the family like everyone else. Since Europeans came to America the Native Americans been suffering so much abuse.

  • Brothers and sisters,

    Color of law is being used to trespass and cause harm. Google “Color of Law Form” and print out hundreds of copies to distribute to water protectors. Anytime a man or woman acting as a policy enforcer for a private corporation (police, courts, etc are all private now) violates God’s Law and causes harm to a living man or woman using color of law, first talk privately to them, asking them to stop trespassing against you. If they do not stop, fill out a form and serve it to the in front of witnessess. If they do not stop, file a color of law suit.

    The legal system operates under fiction if law and is just a ruse. In reality, God’s Natural Law is all there is. Maxim- He who slumbers on his rights has none.The creator gave us unalienable rights. Invoke them…

    Perhaps serve the local sheriff, governor, etc and stop the trespassers..

    Peace and love

    Ps please pray and meditate for discernment and guidance

  • BILL……NOBODY DESERVES TO BE TREATED LIKE THAT FOR PROTESTING THE DESTRUCTION OF LIFE. GO LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PIPES THAT HAVE FAILED AS OPPOSED TO THE NUMBER THAT HAVNT FAILED YET. AND THEY ARE LINED W RADIOACTIVE PAINT . GET INFORMED. (edited comment)

  • The young woman who was injured may very well lose her arm, these are war injuries. Make no mistake North Dakota thinks our native American people are invisible, let’s show them they are wrong. Keep the world’s eyes on the hired mercenaries that are torturing water protectors, right now I believe it is the only thing that has kept the mercenaries from committing genocide.

  • Bill is a policeman, or have money in the oil business, or just dont know about history and the mechanism of capitalism and control. (edited comment)

  • As someone from a different country, I am completely horrified by the violence and aggression shown by the police against peaceful demonstrators! There is no justification for the methods being used and for the blatant disregard DAPL has shown for the Native Americans and their rights.
    Please stay strong in this adversity!

  • Obama looks like Nero fiddling whist this terrible situation carries on. Obviously he has no leadership qualities. I live in the UK and let me assure your abusers – the reputation of America gets worse and worse and worse overseas.

  • This is utterly outrageous of the police department. Even more so when the victims are peaceful water protectors from the indigenous population. I hope the police will get prosecuted. #Istandwithstandingrock

  • This Thanksgiving, Native American rights are once again being disregarded. Please sign this petition to support them and our environment.

  • We need hundreds and thousands of us all at Standing Rock! We need people as far as they can see. What will happen then…..

  • The time has come for people to stand up against this oppression. Protect their right to life and clean drinking water. The time has come for thousands of protesters to travel to standing rock and take on these illegal security / corporate puppets. We are many and they are few. They cannot stand against us all. We’ve tried peaceful protest and they have met us with violence. Now is the time we fight back!

  • This is not the America we thought existed. This is the beginning of a fashiststate. When police standing safety behind barbwire misuse nonleathal wepons so that they are lethal.
    The way they (police) är using the bullet and canisters is more dangerous than you people understand. I am trained in using that stuff and what I see in the films scare me a lot. Do they have so little respect for human life.

  • Keep this water safe. No Pipeline. Take a look at the water in Flint, Mi. Now take a look at all the schools that are finding lead in the drinking water.

    The Rich get Richer and the poor get poorer.

    Clean water for all.

  • While families are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving, Native Americans are being fired with tear-gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons in freezing temperatures. The irony is strong with this one.

    The water protectors at Standing Rock need our support now more than ever. Please consider making a donation to the Standing Rock Sioux here: http://standwithstandingrock.net/donate/

    It makes a difference.
    #StandWithStandingRock #NoDAPL #WaterIsLife

  • So, The pipeline is being built on private land, and runs parallel to existing service lines, on the same land – all land owners have signed in agreement for the work to proceed.
    The water source is 11 miles away from the pipelines planned river crossing, and at the end of the year, said water source is actually being relocated to Mobridge, approx 50 miles further away.
    There are already 8 existing pipelines that traverse the river, and none of these are causing pollution for the current water supply.. since, wouldn’t you know it, piplines are not only extreme efficient, they are also safe.
    It was initial violence against the workers, and token security staff ( on private land ) by protesters, that sparked off the escalation in force; While i dont agree with the continuing violence, what do you expect when you have misinformed, or purely ignorant, zealots clashing with armed security staff.One side needs to back down, and its not going to be the side with billions invested, and legal approval to build a pipeline which benefits the nations economy and wont be effecting the tribal areas water supply.

    While ive paraphrased a lot of that info for simplicity sake, its all public information that anyone can access. I’d expect anyone outraged enough to make a comment, to have actually gone and done some research.

  • I think a lawyer should look into if the police actions fit the criteria for crimes against mankind.

  • People claiming these people are peaceful should let me throw rocks and use sling shots on them so they can see how peaceful that is. All you idiots complaining about water should turn in your cars and stop using any type of oil. You don’t seem to have a problem when comes from other places.

  • 300 of 400 water protectors were treated for injuries. That is serious aggression. The images of the violence that Sunday night have shaken me to the core. The military police have changed their strategy. Up until Sunday, they were arresting a lot of people. Now they are hurting them. The illusion that we are living in a democracy “for the people” has been destroyed forever for me. Yet the good people who believe the lies that are being fed to the media have no idea that this type of violence can happen just as easily to any one of them.

  • This is a terrifying human rights precedent considering we’re still under the Obama administration. Obama neglecting to stand up for Native American rights at this moment is a lousy president, imagine the license that will give Trump. Isn’t this land in someway protected under native American sovereignty? If they want their pipeline can’t they re route it somewhere else? not straight from sacred land!

  • whistleblowers, and movies after movies have shown us over and over how deceitful and how BIG this is. we watch as though it is just entertainment. as we can see, the blatant lies being told out of our law enforcements mouths. they have sold their souls. BIG MONEY. so big, we cant even imagine. all the lies that create all the wars that destroy us as a people as a nation….. fighting for LIES, and putting our lives on the line. everyone needs to listen to the native elders. they are wise to guide and steer the people to do all of this with love and prayers and blessings. its got to be the only way…. because fighting and war has never stopped…. we must choose GOOD. choose GOD!

  • Where are the local/County authorities? Where the hell are they? Who hired the thugs that are torture these conscientious Native people, people whose only wish is to keep their land sacred? Our country’s “leaders” are in league with torturers, and must pay the price for betraying their innocent fellow citizens!! STAND UP TO THESE THUGS!!

  • We need clean water and clean air . I live in California and sometimes I can hardly breathe because of the pollution in the air. Oil is a bad investment and their stock should be decreasing since oil is not an acceptable alternative. The banks that are supporting this destruction of the earth should be stopped. Hit him in the wallet and they will listen. We must all do our part and take our money to credit unions so they will stop funding these projects. Thank you to all the water protectors and those who care my heart is with you.

  • Today, I visit the Bank, I will be making an appointment to review at whatever the cost, my investments in mutual funds. I will be moving my investments to renewable energy, education, and inovation. I understand that Obama cannot stop this because he has no real government behind him that isn’t corporately owned. So, one mother to another I am putting my money where my heart is ……with My Mother …..Earth.

  • You would not be hit with rubber bullets or sprayed with water if you would go home and stop breaking the law when told to disperse. Some people never learn.

  • It is all just in time for the Thanksgiving celebration here in America. I’m afraid we are in for worse after January 20, 2017.

  • Veterans from all over the country are currently mobilizing to protect the Water Proectors. Help is on the way! I want to see those uniform thugs try that crap with battle hardened vets making up the front line of the protest!

    Enough is enough ! Help is on the way!

  • I really have no comment, everything was covered by the excellent posts I just read. Thank you all so much!

  • Across the pond in the UK we are horrified at this war on Native people and the atrocities being committed at standing rock. Has your government stooped so low as to allow this to happen. But then again it has committed genocide against Native people once before. So appalled.. The world is watching!

  • This article is Excellent and informative. It is all very horrific. Breaking the media silence for sure. Keep on draining the money from Dakota Access Pipeline.

  • Vote with your money, think for yourself, do what you can and stand together. We must stand with each other or there will be none to help when they’re coming for us

  • @Bill, you should really stop watching FOX. The “law enforcement” people are being paid very well, most of them were not required to go there, they volunteered, probably to get the chance to shoot some “natives”, the’re pathetic excuses for humans.. Are you there, can you see the demonstrators, how do you know they are not being peaceful? If these “law enforcement” officials are “scared for their lives” then they should be ashamed. They all have high tech weapons, what weapons do the Protectors have?

  • Paul d, the Constitution does not provide for the state to do battle with people or deprive them except by due process of law. The only threat the government or you are allowed to hang over these people is the threat of arrest and prosecution. Where are the arrests? Where is the due process of law? If there are sling shots or rocks, let the arrests begin in mass and in earnest.

  • American People will be withdrawing all money in any bank funding this pipeline. Gotcha….we have the power….money is power….#defunddapl

  • Bill and Fenix and Bob: You´re wrong. Did you serve in South Lebanon in 1978? I didn´t see any of you down there. But, of course, I´m a veteran from Norway, and Norway is just another shit country to you. I tell you: Your blood may come from other soil than that of “US”. People in Norway are fucking angry now. And one final point we are not flat-headed monkeys here i Norway – neither do we not need to be “commies” to state that you heat your native inhabitants. I´m not the only norwegian veteran flagging this. Shame on your old european blood!!! We work for redrawing norwegian investments out of this bad snake. And your “police” forces out there? You know what we named such alike after fighting the nazis beeing occupied 1940-45? You´re right: Quislings! (Meaning treator of its own people and mother country). (edited comment)

  • None of these articles mention the hired police are specifically targeting the women and younger protesters in order to enrage the men, just in hopes that the situation escalates to live ammunition. (edited comment)

  • I am native. Your water protectors have been taken over by white hippies. They must be vanquished from the camps and the natives must stand up and carry the fight. Get white blood out of OUR fight!

  • OBAMA: WTF are YOU doing??? Time to step up and do what’s right—stop this pipeline or clearly reveal your corporate ties.

  • The “law enforcement” at Standing Rock are the REAL TERRORISTS, and the politicians are their backers. ALL anti-American traitors and they should all be treated as such.

  • For those of you who sit comfortably in your home and watch the videos put out by the protesters…. until you have been here and seen what’s going on you should have no voice. This is not a peaceful protest. The Standing Rock people have asked the out of state rioters to leave. They have brought this to a riot. The people of the area have been threatened to the point that they send their children to live elsewhere, farm animals have been shot with arrows and guns. Latest count over 100. They chased buffalo until some died from exhaustion, they use sling shots to shoot rocks and anything thry find at law enforcement. They build baracades on the highways so emergency vehicles and any others can not go through. When asked to move it they start it on fire. One place is on a bridge where all this you write about happens. They burned tires cars and military vehicles on that bridge making it dangerous to use. ThE barbwire is to keep the from going to construction equipment so they can drain fuel onto the ground and burn the equipment. What has this burning and pouring fuel on the ground done to the ground and the water? Yea water protectors. They have come to town and protested by grade schools scaring small children. This will forever scar the children. They poured oil on our capital building.
    So until you have been here and witnessed this you have no voice. Sad they have hurt the relations between Standing Rock and North Dakota people for years to come.
    Pray for this don’t make it worse with false quotes. (Moderated comment)

  • How many of you people posting actually live here and have the facts and have witnessed what is occurring? I live right here in Bismarck/Mandan among all the protesting and have been out to the sites. These stories about violence by law enforcement are being fabricated and/or highly exaggerated and embellished. Many of the protesters, other than some of the Natives including the elders, have not been peaceful at all. Many don’t even seem to be fully aware of the issues or the facts or what they are even protesting about, they just came up here to party like it’s a modern-day Woodstock, causing violence and problems, draining our resources, and littering the land. The very same law enforcement officers they have been harassing, threatening, and spitting on have been graciously assisting them as they’ve gotten stuck in the snow, etc over the past week in the blizzard. Most of us locals, including the Natives, just want all the protesters to leave so we can handle this in a civil manner. Very the facts straight and don’t believe everything you read. This article is beyond ridiculous.

  • you people are mad,after you lie to each other enough you seem to believe it. Bonnie no thats not straight first the 20 agencys..maybe because its ND and there all small and still have to carry on there regular jobs,theres no Blackwater merc’s lol, they hire here locally,very small world here,no they didnt grenade the woman, no they didnt “attack” with water cannons, they used water cannons yes but it was the protestors who attacked the wire. We are already using trains lol lots of spills,MN was considering not let our trains travel there,dont know what happened there,there are tons of other pipelines here…been here forever..and only started to have problems since this protest.

    your going to imagine whatever you want,but what your saying is no less corrupt and deceitful then what the other side says

    what exactly did our livestock have vested in this?

    you know the most ironic is? the running cars being stolen and the people with different accents in the gas stations begging for gas monies

    Why dont you straighten out your own little state first?

    Basically we like ours,so take care of your trash.Give the state the money to fix the bridge you burned.

    Be responsible,another thing you dont have any problem with dumping frac feces on top your ground?

    if i were the oil company involved, I would open wells on non tribe land…like there already is,in fact the majority..look it up yourself. Then charge less then any coming off the rez,just to pay you back for the money you have cost. I have native blood,it wasnt and isnt the good fight. You people on here think if were native we have to live on the rez?
    we dont have educations? There are jobs all over here,decent jobs. With employers that mostly dont care wtf you are.

    You make out like we are this poor people.
    do you all know what the rezs share of the oil is?or that we can just go get well paying jobs? that we can actually leave the rez?
    you sound like goomers.

    I am ashamed that any of my people go along with this bovine scatology

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