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