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pinboy3niner

(53,339 posts)
Wed Nov 30, 2016, 01:27 AM Nov 2016

Veterans to Serve as Human Shields for Dakota Pipeline Protesters

xpost from GD

By CHRISTOPHER MELENOV. 29, 2016

As many as 2,000 veterans planned to gather next week at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota to serve as “human shields” for protesters who have for months clashed with the police over the construction of an oil pipeline, organizers said.

The effort, called Veterans Stand for Standing Rock, is planned as a nonviolent intervention to defend the demonstrators from what the group calls “assault and intimidation at the hands of the militarized police force.”

The veterans’ plan coincides with an announcement on Tuesday by law enforcement officials that they may begin imposing fines to block supplies from entering the main protest camp after a mandatory evacuation order from the governor. Officials had warned earlier of a physical blockade, but the governor’s office later backed away from that, Reuters said.

...

A spokesman for the North Dakota State Highway Patrol, Lt. Thomas O. Iverson, said in an email on Monday, “Law enforcement is aware of the upcoming event planned for December 4-7.” He added, “If the group remains lawful and refrains from blocking the roadway, there will be no issues.”

...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/29/us/veterans-to-serve-as-human-shields-for-pipeline-protesters.html


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womanofthehills

(9,307 posts)
1. Good. Can you believe the sheriff wanted to stop supplies going into Standing Rock including food
Wed Nov 30, 2016, 01:55 AM
Nov 2016

Sheriff had to back down on that one. Glad the vets are there and in large numbers too.

democrank

(11,250 posts)
2. Bless these vets for standing up for the Standing Rock Sioux.
Wed Nov 30, 2016, 07:39 AM
Nov 2016

Our party leaders should follow this example and show up as well....at least ONE of them. We have long ignored the difficulties faced by Native Americans, and it's inexcusable and shameful .

pinboy3niner

(53,339 posts)
4. Veterans struggling with PTSD have a hypersensitivity to injustice
Thu Dec 1, 2016, 05:22 AM
Dec 2016

It is not surprising at all to me that vets will not only support the water protectors, they will put their bodies on the line to defend them.

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