Water v. Oil -- Women Protecting Shell River in Minnesota: Enbridge paid $8.5 million to police and state agencies

Water v. Oil -- Women Protecting Shell River in Minnesota: Enbridge paid $8.5 million to police and state agencies

By Honor the Earth

Water v. Oil: Shell River 7 Hearings and Winona LaDuke's upcoming Trial for Efforts to Protect the Shell River. #ProtectorsNotProtesters

July 20, 2022 -- Five of the Shell River 7 had their contested omnibus (evidentiary) hearing. Maracle, Weber, and Klein appeared in person at the Wadena County Courthouse. With and Barnds attended via zoom due to the COVID pandemic, which has been ongoing through Line 3 construction and the ensuing legal battles. 

Yesterday, independent photojournalist Razowsky received a continuance for their case to move forward separately and focus on press freedoms.

The 5 co-defendants raised their arguments collectively before Judge Doug Clark, with the objective of showing Enbridge was trespassing – not LaDuke and her invited guests. Kelly Maracle, Mohawk/Seneca Bear Clan tribal member and Water Protector from New York, and the other elder women had been invited by LaDuke to join in the July 19, 2021 ceremony to protect the Shell River.

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Honor the Earth said, "Enbridge paid over $8.5M to local police and state agencies to do their bidding and bashing. As Water Protectors, we know all too well the future we're ALL staring down: where our rights are neglected and abused because multi-national corporations want to keep raking in the profits.

"We won't stop fighting to protect our homelands, the water and our communities."