There are some major protests going on involving Standing Rock in North Dakota. The protesters have been camped out for months trying to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The sheriffs have announced that anyone attempting to send food and supplies to the protesters will be facing $1,000 fines. They issued an “emergency evacuation” order on Monday, but the protesters are still not leaving. A physical barricade was mentioned, but the sheriffs are not doing that just yet.
Our own Liberal America author, Stephanie Kuklish, reported:
“The Dakota Access Pipeline is chartered to run through sacred land and under the only water resource for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and surrounding citizens. The tribe has been camping for months at Sacred Stone campgrounds, and the numbers have grown from just over a hundred peaceful protesters to thousands.”
Here is a video from CNN with a representative of the Sioux Nation, Chase Iron Eyes:
"We are in for the long haul" — Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's @ChaseIronEyes on #NoDAPL https://t.co/okWL5fRWMy https://t.co/z9kNQ5CQ7I
— New Day (@NewDay) November 28, 2016
Technically, this sheriff is committing an act of war against the Native Americans who own this land by blockading their supplies.
@CNN @NBCNews @ABC @MSNBC @CBSEveningNews WHY HAVE YOU ABANDONED #standingrock Against Military Industrial Complex? pic.twitter.com/7yxudN7cMv
— Dave Glover (@legant66) November 21, 2016
International law expert Professor Francis Boyle is very outspoken on this topic, as well as on others of equal importance. He defines blockades under international and U.S. law as:
“… Belligerent measures taken by a nation (to) prevent passage of vessels or aircraft to and from another country. Customary international law recognizes blockades as an act of war because of the belligerent use of force even against third party nations in enforcing the blockade. Blockades as acts of war have been recognized as such in the Declaration of Paris of 1856 and the Declaration of London of 1909 that delineate the international rules of warfare.”
Here is actress Shailene Woodley talking about the protests:
Featured image via Twitter.
