Attorneys submit open records request on surveillance at Standing Rock

NLG and ACLU Submit FOIA and Open Records Requests to Investigate Unconstitutional Surveillance of Water Protectors at Standing Rock

For immediate release:

October 20, 2016

Contact: Tasha Moro, NLG Communications Director
212-679-5100, ext. 15# | communications@nlg.org

BISMARCK, ND—Today, the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), in conjunction with the ACLU of North Dakota, sent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and North Dakota Open Records Act requests to multiple state and federal agencies in response to the surveillance and arrests of the Native-led Water Protectors attempting to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). In an affront to First Amendment rights, Water Protectors and allies have been continuously surveilled by low-flying planes, helicopters, and drones, and have had local cell phone communications jammed and possibly recorded. Dozens of local and out-of-state law enforcement have been called in, maintaining a heavily militarized presence at the site in an effort to intimidate activists and chill dissent.

Water Protectors have come to expect surveillance and interference from law enforcement. Kandi Mossett, of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, and the Extreme Energy & Just Transition Campaign Coordinator with the Indigenous Environmental Network says: "My three-year-old daughter and I are beginning to get used to being awakened by the helicopter and airplane as they fly over camp in the morning. She says, ‘Momma look!’ all excited, as she is too innocent to understand they were sent to spy on us for protecting the water for her and generations to come.”

Despite remaining peaceful in their resistance, more than 140 people have been arrested at the protest site since beginning in August, with the Morton County Sherriff’s Department leveling trespassing and riot charges against Water Protectors and journalists. Earlier this week, finding no probable cause, a judge dropped the riot charge that had been brought against award-winning journalist Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! for her September 3 coverage of the protests and the violent response by a private security firm hired by the DAPL company.

As civil liberties violations have continued to escalate over the last six weeks, the Indigenous-led resistance against the DAPL continues. More than 1,000 Water Protectors, allies, and supporters have descended on Standing Rock, constituting the largest gathering of Native American Nations in modern US history. The Red Owl Legal Collective of the NLG has been providing bond, Legal Observers, and legal support for arrestees.

The NLG and ACLU of North Dakota are requesting all surveillance information and communications regarding the DAPL protests from April 1 to the present from the following federal and local agencies:

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Department of Homeland Security
US Army Corps of Engineers
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Department of Justice
ND National Guard
ND Highway Patrol
Morton County Sheriff
Burleigh County Sheriff
Emmons County Sheriff
Cass County Sheriff
Fargo Police
Bismarck Police
Mandan Police
Fort Yates Police

With these open records requests, the NLG and the ACLU of North Dakota seek to promote transparency and challenge any violations of constitutional rights.

# # #

Related:

• 10/14/16: Law Enforcement Arrest 29 Water Protectors on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Continue to Target Journalists Covering DAPL
• 9/16/16: Federal Judge Dissolves DAPL's Injunction Against Water Protectors
• 8/29/16:  NLG Statement of Solidarity with Standing Rock Sioux Tribe against Dakota Access Pipeline 

Above: Dale "Happy" American Horse, Jr., chained himself to a large backhoe on August 31, 2016 to prevent DAPL construction. Photo: Desiree Kane.

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Indigenous Peoples

environmental justice

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Police

Raye Zaragoza sings 'In the River: A Protest Song for Standing Rock'

Censored News in honored to share this beautiful and powerful song by Raye Zaragoza.

"I am a singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. I am part Pima and wrote a song in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, in solidarity against the Dakota Access Pipeline."

https://soundcloud.com/rpmfm/raye-zaragoza-in-the-river-a-protest-song-for-standing-rock

On sale at iTunes at: (Kick in 99 cents)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/in-river-protest-song-single/id1167345251

Mohawk Nation News 'Soot Busters'

SOOT BUSTERS

Posted on October 20, 2016

Please post and distribute.

MNN. Oct. 20, 2016. NYS District Court of Freddie Scullin [Bones] pulled another dirty corporate “my’trick”. A day after the verdict on October 14, 2016 was in, which let off all the INDIAN Detail mercs for their criminal enterprise at onondaga, all the evidence and exhibits was boxed and sent to the plaintiffs.

I-81 INDIAN Detail thinks they got away with it!

Jones, et al v. Parmley, et al, 98CV374 is being appealed and this evidence is suppose to go to the 2nd Circuit Court.

Local Rule 79.1(d) requires that evidence can only be removed after the case is over. They could be tampered with and derail the appeal. The Onondaga 15 plaintiffs were told to not open the boxes.

onondaga 15, whatever you do, don’t open the box!

They want to get rid of the clean evidence that Judge Scullin [Bones] kept out of the case. Otherwise they could not have gotten the verdict they wanted to cover up the criminal acts of the I-81 INDIAN Detail.

Freddie Scullin [Bones]. “Get rid of it quick!”

The court demonstrated again that it is a big filthy dirty chimney full of soot, sediment and dust. The court personnel, judges, lawyers and clerks, are the soot that’s accumilted. Anyone taken in there comes out covered in the filth. Don’t wear white when you go to court as you’ll be covered with their smoke and mirrors.

The court is a private corporation for the profit of its shareholders. Their cops book people and create customers. The victims are captured and brought into the Admiralty vessel for processing. The chief pieces of soot figure out all the charges they can lay. Then the victim is given a deal to pay or go to the big fire house for a short or permanent stay or eliminated altogether.

Scullin [Bones]: “My job is to protect the business!”

The kaia’nere:kowa is the way back to peace and sustainability. Unity, strength, peace.

Midnight Oil asks: “The time has come to say fair is fair. To pay the rent. To pay our share. The time has come, a fact’s a fact. It belongs to them. Let’s give it back. .. How we can dance when our earth is turning. How do we sleep while our beds are burning?”. 

http://bsnorrell.blogspot.ca/2016/10/zapatistas-may-earth-trebmle-at-its-core.html

THE AMBULANCE CHASERS WHO SCREWED THE ONKWE’HON:WEH ARE:

Adam L. Pollock adam.pollock@ag.ny.gov, 

Angela C. Winfield awinfield@barclaydamon.com,

Brittany E. Aungier baungier@barclaydamon.com,

Carol. Rhinehart crhinehart@ongov.net,

Karle,dkarle@ongove.net.

Devin M. Cain dcain@maglaw.com,

lkan Abramowitz EAbranowitz@maglaw.com,

Gabriel M. Nugent gnugent@barclaydamon.com, Joanna Gozzi joannagozzi@ongov.net,

Jodi M. Meikin Jpeikin@maglaw.com

CSeel CSeel@maglaw.com

RAnello@maglaw.com

Robert J. Anello ranello@magislaw.com

Terrance J. Hoffman tjhoffman@cnymail.com

TimothY P. Mulvey timothy.mulvey@ag.ny.gov

The jury found the INDIAN Detail innocent of this assault and beating:

MNN Mohawk Nation News kahentinetha2@yahoo.com, for more news, to sign up for MNN newsletters, go to mohawknationnews.com More stories at MNN Archives. thahoketoteh@ntk.com Address: MNN, Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0. For original Mohawk music visit https://soundcloud.com/thahoketoteh

Morton Co. Police Strip Search Lakota Woman, Leave in Jail Cell Naked

.

LaDonna Brave Bull Allard describes how Morton County police arrested her daughter, without any cause. She was strip searched by male officers and left naked in a jail cell all night.

Article by Brenda Norrell
Censored News
English, Spanish translation by Dr. Villanueva
Video by TYT Politics

STANDING ROCK, North Dakota -- Morton County police and jail guards are violating human rights and engaged in militarized sexual violence, as they illegally strip search Lakotas who are defending the Missouri River, and ancestral burial places, from Dakota Access Pipeline.
LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, who owns the land where Sacred Stone Camp is located, said her daughter was strip searched, and left naked in a jail cell all night.
"They are targeting our families," Allard said.
Allard describes how Morton County police followed a car that her daughter, an adult, was riding in. Her daughter was a passenger in the back seat.
She was arrested with no cause given and taken to Morton County Jail.

"Three male officers, and one female officer stripped her naked. Then they took her naked and put her in a jail cell and left her there all night."

Then, in the morning, they came in and gave her a jump suit.
When Allard questioned what the charge was, Morton Co. continually changed their response
as to what the charge is. Morton Co. made various claims about charges, including speeding, but her daughter wasn't driving, and attempted to charge $500 for "living at the camp," and then Morton Co. basically said they didn't like her attitude.
Allard said, "They are targeting our families."
"They are using every means necessary," said Allard, pointing out how everyone is monitored by helicopters and planes overhead, and at the checkpoints.
"We have to stop them."
Allard said the pipeline has to be stopped. It can not be allowed to destroy these sacred places.
"If we don't stand up now, there will be nothing left of our people."
"Once that water is gone, there's no one who is going to come and help us," said Allard of the Missouri River and Cannon Ball River, which converge here.
"We exist, we live with the land," she said, adding that her people live on the land, and hunt and fish.
"We have to face the storm. We are not backing down."
Allard describes the escalation of events, which now includes police in riot gear and tanks present while those camped at Standing Rock camp are praying for the water.
"Not anybody, anybody, in these camps are violent."
As Dakota Access Pipeline rushes now to meet its deadline with construction, Allard said the pipeline must be stopped.
Allard describes the water and the right to live.
Asked about the burial places here, Allard said her son, father and cousin are buried here, up on the hill. She describes who is buried here in these grounds.
Describing this area, she said that this was a Sundance ground and a major trade area. The entire area is a cultural property.
Allard describes how the fight is for survival, and this survival depends on the water and the river.
"We have a right to live."

Also see: 
Democracy Now! Actress Shailene Woodley strip searched. Arrested while live streaming water protectors.
http://www.democracynow.org/2016/10/20/actress_shailene_woodley_reveals_she_was

Militarized sexual violence:

1) See this link from Rutgers University (Center for Women's Global Leadership) too where they talk about the "Intersection of violence against women and militarism" there is a chapter about violence exercised by the state. http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/docman/violence-against-women-publications/387-intersectionsvaw-militarism-pdf-1/file

There is a phrase I like from this report: "States employ militaristic ideologies that attempt to pass off violence as security measures" on page 6.  Another quote I liked was: "Political violence against women is also used as a tactic to frighten women from joining political movements." (page 6). Another is: "Sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations is used to reinforce gendered hierarchies. It is also used as a tactic of war to drive fear, humiliate and punish women, their families and communities"(page 7). This seems to be obviously the case here, targeting women that are family members of the woman owner of the land, is a militaristic tactic to frighten women from joining the current political movement at Standing Rock. Its a type of psychological terrorism on US land perpetrated by state police who are serving a private oil company instead of the public.

2) It is quite a paradox that the UN is having a campaign to end gender violence this year, starting Nov 25th, and the USA is showing such an embarrassing example of the opposite. http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/take-action/16-days-of-activism  It would be quite shocking if the UN was invited to Morton to organize an orange campaign against violence against women by state actors, especially if perpetrated by agents of Morton county police: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/end-violence-against-women

3) The specific case described in this article falls under the "violence against women in custody" of this link: http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/women-s-rights/violence-against-women/violence-against-women-information. 

4) This situation resembles the horror stories told by native american woman, Rigoberta Menchu, from Guatemala, and the horrors lived by indigenous women in Mexico today. There is no doubt that this was an "arbitrary detention" and a case of "gender-based violence" as described in this article narrating violence against women human right defenders protecting land and resources. http://www.lawg.org/action-center/lawg-blog/69-general/1057-from-survivors-to-defenders-violence-against-women-on-the-rise-in-mexico-honduras-guatemala. This is scary similar to the arbitrary detention of 11 native american women in Atenco Mexico ( 2016) defending their lands against the construction of a new airport for Mexico City , who were raped by police as a punishment for participating in political activism. This is a famous case that has reached the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) because there was no investigation by Mexican police (obviously):http://www.ipsnews.net/2010/10/mexico-four-years-on-no-justice-for-atenco-women/

Artículo de Brenda Norrell

Censored News

Traducción de Villanueva, S.

Vídeo de TYT Política

http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2016/10/morton-co-police-strip-search-lakota.html

Standing Rock, Dakota del Norte, Estados Unidos - LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, quien es dueña de la tierra donde se encuentra el campamento Standing Rock, donde varias naciones indígenas protestan contra los oleoductos petroleros, dijo que su hija fue desnudada, y que la dejaron así en una celda de la cárcel toda la noche.

"Ellos están dirigiendo ataques directos contra nuestras familias," dijo Allard.

Allard describió cómo la policía del condado de Morton en el estado norteamericano de Dakota del Norte, siguió a un coche en el cual su hija, una mujer adulta, iba como pasajera en el asiento trasero.

Su hija fue detenida sin causa específica y llevada a la cárcel del condado de Morton en Estados Unidos.

"Tres agentes del sexo masculino y una mujer policía la desnudaron. Luego se la llevaron desnuda y la pusieron en una celda de la cárcel donde la dejaron toda la noche."

Luego, en la mañana, vinieron y le dieron un traje de presidiaria.

Cuando Allard cuestionó cuales eran los cargos, el Condado de Morton cambió continuamente su respuesta con respecto a cuáles eran los cargos por las que su hija estaba encarcelada. El condado de Morton hizo varias afirmaciones sobre varios cargos, incluyendo exceso de velocidad, pero su hija no estaba conduciendo, también trató de cobrarle una multa de $ 500 por "vivir en el campamento," y luego, finalmente, el condado de Morton, básicamente dijo que no les gustaba su actitud.

Allard dijo: "Ellos están atacando directamente a nuestras familias."

"Están utilizando todos los medios que tienen a su disposición, " dijo Allard, señalando cómo todo el mundo está controlado por helicópteros y por aviones que sobrevuelan la zona, además de los retenes policiacos y militares en las carreteras."

"Tenemos que detenerlos."

Allard dijo que el oleoducto tiene que ser detenido. No se puede permitir que destruya estos lugares sagrados.

"Si no estamos unidos para detener esto ahora, no quedara nada de nuestro pueblo."

"Una vez que el agua se haya ido, no habrá nadie que venga a ayudarnos", dijo Allard del río Missouri y el río Cannon Ball, que convergen aquí.

"Existimos, vivimos con la tierra", dijo, añadiendo que su población vive de la tierra,  la caza y la pesca.

"Tenemos que hacer frente a la tormenta. No nos vamos a echar para atrás."

Allard describió la escalada de acontecimientos, que ahora incluyen a la policía antidisturbios y tanques, presentes mientras que las personas que protestan, quienes se hacen llamar "los protectores del agua" en el campamento de Standing Rock, rezan por el agua.

"No hay nadie, nadie, en estos campamentos que sea violento."

Como los oleoductos del Acceso Dakota se apresuran ahora por cumplir con el plazo de construcción, Allard dijo que el oleoducto debe ser detenido.

Allard describió el agua y el derecho a vivir.

Se le preguntó sobre los lugares de sepulturas sagradas aquí, Allard dijo que su hijo, su padre y su primo están enterrados ahí, en la colina. Ella describió quienes están enterrados aquí en estos terrenos.

Al describir esta área, dijo que estos eran terrenos de ceremonias y bailes sagrados dedicados al festival del sol llamados en inglés "Sundance" así como una zona comercial. Toda la zona es un bien cultural importante.

Allard describió cómo es la lucha por la supervivencia, y esto depende de la supervivencia del agua y del río.

"Tenemos derecho a vivir."

www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com