How to Contact the People Sending Militarized Police to Standing Rock
Have a question about the militarization of policing near Dakota Access pipeline construction? Here’s who to call, starting with Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier.
There have been a lot of questions surrounding the influx of military style troops and equipment to the Standing Rock Sioux tribal area in North Dakota. In August, North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple declared a state of emergency in response to the growing Dakota Access pipeline protests, and Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier has invoked the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, calling on police resources from six surrounding states.
On Thursday, police executed a particularly violent sweep of a camp.
On Thursday, police executed a particularly violent sweep of a camp that left structures destroyed, more than 140 people arrested, cars impounded and others burning on the side of the road. The highly militarized response—armored vehicles and heavy weaponry—was recorded by many people caught in the assault.
Across the nation, there have been solidarity actions to protest the police response. When word spread that police were allegedly using Facebook to monitor those gathered at Standing Rock, a campaign was launched Sunday encouraging Facebook users worldwide to “check-in” at Standing Rock and share that status publicly. The campaign seeks to confuse police by flooding social media with check-ins from all across the globe. According to CNN today, hundreds of thousands of people have already done it; although the Morton County Sheriff's Department has denied using Facebook to monitor the camp.
The questions many are asking range from why a private pipeline company warrants a seven-state security force paid for by taxpayers, to why President Obama has not stepped in.
Here is a list of officials from the involved states, plus the county and city police confirmed by news reports, to have sent troops and equipment to North Dakota. Questions can be directed to these people. (This list was last updated on Nov. 21, 2016).
Bismarck Office 601 Channel Drive Bismarck, ND 58501-7757 Phone: 701-328-5590
Minnesota:
(After October 31, Minnesota’s contingent of deputies —29 from Hennepin County, six from Anoka County and five from Washington County—left North Dakota, having fulfilled their terms of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.)
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton
116 Veterans Service Building 20 W 12th Street St. Paul, MN 55155 Phone: 651-201-3400
I hope that all of us have taken the time to watch videos coming out of Standing rock last night. Over 400 Water protectors who were stuck - partly be design - on a bridge and could not move were attacked by police for over 6 hours last night - with freezing water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, concussion grenades that injured over 160 people and sent at least one elder into cardiac arrest. County Sheriff spread the false news that water protectors started fires when there is video proof of how fire got started and how Native people were putting out the fires started by Police.
Things to do:
See this very short TYT video to get a sense of what happened. LINK
Spread the word that Water protectors didn't start the fires. See one of the much longer videos from Kevin Gilbertt (see at 1 hour 11 min to see projectile fired into water protectors from police and national Guard. It catches ground on fire and while the water cannon is being used to soak peaceful water protectors another group of water protectors stamp out the fire to prevent it spreading. This shows the story of water cannons to put out fires to be untrue.)
Visualize this as a deepest form of practice: For me, this is one of the deepest form of practice where one stands up for what is based on not othering anyone but acting out of connection with all being and all elements that make our precious life possible. Where one doesn't shy away from what is right in order to have a false sense of temporary security. Where we honor our deepest convictions by acting on them. Where we maintain non-violence in the face of legalized violence. Take my bows, water protectors! My feeling is that more of us need to be ready to either engage in this form of practice or at the least support this kind of practice which goes beyond just bearing witness to past trauma.
Follow the news and share it...Example: from Democracy now:
Standing Rock: 100+ Injured After Police Attack with Water Cannons, Rubber Bullets & Mace
In North Dakota, more than 100 Native Americans and allies fighting the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline have been injured by police, who attacked them with rubber bullets, tear gas, mace canisters and water cannons in freezing temperatures Sunday night. The attack was on a bridge near the main Oceti Sakowin resistance camp. It began after the water protectors attempted to clear access to the public bridge, which has been blocked by authorities using military equipment chained to concrete barriers. Medics on scene say multiple people were shot by rubber bullets.
Leland Brenholt: "My name is Leland Brenholt. I’m a medic here at Oceti Sakowin. And we have seen at least four gunshot wounds, three of them I know of to the face and head. Rubber bullets. Right now we’re trying to keep people warm. We’re trying to get them decontaminated, and treating all kinds of different wounds. People have been hit with canisters in the chest or the leg and that sort of thing."
Water protectors say the police also fired rubber bullets at journalists, shot down drones being used to document the attack and fired flares which ignited grass fires. Legal observers with the National Lawyers Guild said multiple people temporarily lost consciousness after being shot. Witnesses say one elder also went into cardiac arrest and was revived on scene by medics. Both the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe sent medical first responders. This is Angela Bibens, a lawyer with the Red Owl Legal Collective, speaking in a telephone interview recorded by Dallas Goldtooth Sunday.
Angela Bibens: "Right now we’ve seen people who have been maced. They deployed 20 mace canisters in a small area in less than five minutes, to the point where people have lost bowel function. At least one seizure has been witnessed at the front lines by our legal observation team. There have been people vomiting from the exposure to the mace. The water cannon has been mixed with the mace, and so even our legal observers have been exposed and are trying to deal with that while they’re doing up their notes. And canisters were shot at the medic area at the front line. There is at least one woman who has a broken kneecap. At least one elder went into cardiac arrest and was revived through CPR at the front line by medics."
