Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

September 28, 2016

Police load shotguns, arrive in armored vehicles, as Standing Rock water protectors pray


Police load shotguns, arrive in armored vehicles, as Standing Rock water protectors pray

Militarized show of police force terrorizes Native American women, children and elderly in prayer

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
 ST. ANTHONY, North Dakota -- Police used excessive force, loading shotguns, and arriving in armored vehicles today, as Native American women, children and elderly prayed.
As they prayed for the protection of their water source, the Missouri River, and their burial places, from the Dakota Access Pipeline, police terrorized unarmed women, children and elderly with shotguns and assault rifles.
Twenty-one water protectors were arrested during this militarized show of force by North Dakota law enforcement.
Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier continued to create hysteria by releasing false statements about Native Americans and their allies camped at Cannon Ball.
Sheriff Kirchmeier has repeatedly lied in his statements and said those defending the water were armed and violent. The mainstream media has either ignored the situation or repeated these lies.
The Morton County Sheriff's Department has issued a statement, that among other things, includes this:
"Due to the current threat to public safety, law enforcement responded with specialized equipment and weapons to include armored vehicles and less lethal ammunition using bean-bag rounds."
It seems that praying in public in a non-violent way is now considered a threat to public safety.  The video and photographic evidence clearly shows that there was no threat to public safety whatsoever, by the water defenders. The only threat came from the law enforcement officers in there armored vehicles and carrying various loaded weapons.
This dangerous spin-doctoring by the Morton County Sheriff Department and the issuing of false information to paint a public picture of the water defenders as a violent threat, are designed to justify excessive use of force against non-violent, praying members of the public.
Further, there is a court order from the DC Court of Appeals issued on September 16th, 2016 that states that DAPL is to stop all construction in a 20-mile buffer on both sides of the Missouri River.
What is the Morton County Sheriff Department doing to enforce that court order?
Why are state and county resources being used to harass and arrest members of the public that have peacefully prevented DAPL from violating the court order instead of arresting DAPL workers from violating the court order?
The Dakota Access Pipeline has ignored an active court order issued on Sept. 16, 2016, that states that DAPL can not undertake any work in the 40-mile stretch, 20 miles on each side of the river.
Red Warrior Camp said:
Today Native ceremonies conducted along the Dakota Access Pipeline route were disrupted by militarized police. We have continued to declare ourselves to be non-violent and unarmed, the police, acting as private security and protectors of the corporations and their nefarious and destructive interests, responded in full force with armored vehicles, shotguns, assault rifles, snipers, helicopters, tear gas, resulting in 21 confirmed arrests. There are also reports coming back that the police were snatching people’s phones and other recording devices, deleting pictures and video without permission and in direct violation of North Dakota laws. This response, these actions on the part of the police are clear evidence of the egregious and ongoing escalation of the violations of our Indigenous and Human Rights.
We are constantly fed the narrative that the police are armed and active in the protection of the public. Are we not the public? Are the violations of our rights so easily and repeatedly acceptable? Are you paying attention? The United States of America is occupying Indigenous Land and when their occupation and ruination of our lands and waters is challenged they respond with unprecedented violence, with kidnapping our brothers and sisters protecting us and our territories. They are incarcerating our Warriors, our Women, our Youth. Today’s ceremony should never have been interrupted, no arrests should have been made and certainly, the military machine should not have been called in in response to our prayers.
We hereby call on the police, we as the public order the police to STAND DOWN and IMMEDIATELY CEASE AND DESIST. We are not intimidated, we are angry, we are saddened and we are only continuing to build our Warrior Spirit and Resistance in the face of your violence and tactics. Know this. For all those reading, spread the story, we are calling on all human rights observers and advocates to take this to your networks and your organizations. We are in need of continued advocacy and documentation. Together, we will not let this stand. We are unafraid and powerful united, together, in our protection of the Water. We have no fear, why should we when we speak and act the truth?
The photo above: Screenshot of police loading shotgun today at the site. Watch videos of today at: http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2016/09/standing-rock-breaking-news-surrounded.html

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

No Justice No Peace
Know Justice, Know Peace

Anonymous said...

So wasteful, how they spend all that money on tanks to attack people praying! Ask the rich for 25 cents and they tell people they don't have it. Ask to make a living wage for work and the answer is the politicians will talk about it for another hundred years. Yet, billions of dollars to attack American citizens are spent to make rich even richer.
Russell Means got it right when he said "the Americans are the new Indians". The psych ops strategy is to make a race war while hiding the resource extraction profiteering. BLM should come back to Standing Rock,they are under attack from media & others. Everyone Stand Strong.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the video coverage just getting the word out there is huge
this isn't about skin is about water rights and protecting our Earth
and our rights as Humans!!!!

and how the government and police abuse their Authority and power over peaceful praying people

as unpopular as it is to say many many many 'white' people have a lot of native blood in their genealogy and are not the enemy

many of us would do anything to make up for the heinous crimes that were committed against the native people as this country filled up with more and more Europeans

not every 'white person' is greedy
and looking to destroy people for profit

but if we stand together we can defeat people like this we are stronger than they are

they are less we are more

Kathryn Dawn Masters said...

As i read these accounts & watching the videos I could not stop crying. This is awful...it is so awful. I petition Sacred Spirits...God & Goddess to intervene. Your words said, "that which men conceive in the darkness I will bring it into The Light & Shout it from the Mountain Tops"...i ask that you hold true to your words 'n promise. Stir the Souls of all ppls to react 'n respond to build pressure upon Law Enforcement to enforce the Laws of the Courts Ruling....!!!! Bring attorney's into this situation who will file suits against the establishments that have violated the Courts Ruling & have trespassed against the ppl. All charges dropped against these Warriors...Our Spiritual Soul Brutha's 'n Sistah's...!!!! WE ARE ONE VOICE...WE ARE UNITED & WE CAN ACCOMPLISH GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE SPIRIT THAT IS FAR BEYOND WHAT THEY TRY TO DO IN THE PHYSICAL..!! WE are calling upon You Great Spirit(s)...this is what You have been waiting & asking of us...to turn to You...to want Peace, Harmony, Balance & Justice...The Rights of All People's & Life Protected & Upheld. Here is Your Chance Great Spirit(s) to Unite w/Your People AGain..!!!!!!! Do NOT let their sacrifice(s) be in Vain...We ARE STanding AGainst Thy Enemies Great Spirit(s) & Thou hath said that Thy will make our enemies a foot stool unto our feet...Keep this Promise To Your People too, Great Sacred Spirit..! Dakota Brothers n Sisters...We Are With You...Let this speak to Your Soul so that You are encouraged, renewed & strengthen...we are commanding the forces to your aid...!!!

S.E.Ingraham said...

What the hell? Why does the law not have to respect the LAW? Is there not still a court order from the DC Court of Appeals demanding a 20 mile buffer on both sides of the Missouri be free of any construction? So just what are the military-styled police doing exactly? And why are they armed to the teeth, and using tear-gas? There hasn't been any aggression on the side of the protesters, is that not correct? I"m sure we would have been made aware of it had there been any. Why are peaceful protesters being treated like this?

Anonymous said...

No no no no no. Stay strong peaceful warriors. You are loved and have much support. We are making sure your voices are heard. This cannot continue to go unnoticed. Stand in love and light. Alissa Wilmet in Reno, Nevada.

StephanieLynn said...

Who is checking, who is balancing? Praying for these "leaders" of our nation to find peace within themselves, courage to do what's right and not just what they are "ordered" to do, and for people of all colors, creeds, religions, races, and sexes to finally come together and put all of this energy into positive initiatives.

Anonymous said...

We must keep this story on the front page. Share on any and all social media platforms.

Unknown said...

Where is President Obama? Why hasn't he done anything?