{"id":282530,"date":"2016-12-03T22:52:51","date_gmt":"2016-12-03T21:52:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/wanna-burn-the-us-constitution-shoot-at-us-first-veterans-prepare-to-aid-dapl-protesters\/"},"modified":"2016-12-03T22:52:51","modified_gmt":"2016-12-03T21:52:51","slug":"wanna-burn-the-us-constitution-shoot-at-us-first-veterans-prepare-to-aid-dapl-protesters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/wanna-burn-the-us-constitution-shoot-at-us-first-veterans-prepare-to-aid-dapl-protesters\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Wanna burn the US constitution? Shoot at us first\u2019: Veterans prepare to aid DAPL protesters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>        US military veterans continue to arrive at Standing Rock, with up to 3,500 expected in total. They are due to meet with tribal elders to discuss how they can best help the ongoing protest, marked by heavy police force and bitterly cold weather conditions. <\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Members of <em>\u201cVeterans Stand for Standing Rock,\u201d<\/em> who have been told to bring supplies such as gas masks, earplugs and body armor (but no drugs, alcohol or weapons), plan to form a human shield around protesters to protect them against rubber bullets and the police.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AiTmEW6wqtQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWe feel that we have a voice that is unique as many of us have served in overseas deployments,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Brian Trautman of the Veterans for Peace group told RT.<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;And in terms of the respect, the honor and the pedestal on which the American people hold veterans, I think we can certainly provide that assistance to the Native American peoples, to bring in the people of the United States into awareness of what\u2019s going on at Standing Rock.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If what protesters are saying about the level of police violence is to be believed, the veterans\u2019 protection is crucially needed.<br \/><em\/><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cOne person got his head split wide open. I\u2019ve got two sons that were shot up with beanbags, which don\u2019t have beans but lead inside,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0said Guy Dull Knife, a US Army veteran at the site.<\/p>\n<div class=\"arcticle__read-more read-more\">\n<p>Read more<\/p>\n<p>    <a class=\"read-more__link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rt.com\/viral\/368614-dapl-military-style-force\/\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"read-more__cover\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.rt.com\/files\/2016.11\/thumbnail\/583db98cc4618879138b4613.jpg\" alt=\"A woman holds a branch of cedar during a prayer ceremony on Backwater Bridge during a protest against plans to pass the Dakota Access pipeline near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, U.S. November 27, 2016. \u00a9 Stephanie Keith \"\/><br \/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve been treating us pretty bad, but we\u2019re still here.\u201d On Monday, North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple ordered a mandatory evacuation of the area, citing health concerns, meaning anyone who refuses to leave by December 5 risks being arrested. However, the state has denied it has plans for the <em>\u201cforcible removal\u201d<\/em> of protesters.<\/p>\n<p>In another recent development, the Morton County sheriff\u2019s department has threatened to fine anyone bringing in supplies. This, say protesters, will make the situation even more desperate.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWe have what we need but we don\u2019t have enough. We rely on supply runs,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0said protester Keytha Fixico.<\/p>\n<p>Those at the scene believe the National Guard may be called in, potentially escalating the situation. Veterans have already been asked to protest peacefully and avoid confrontations with officers that may get them arrested.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThe veterans are saying we can\u2019t stand for that,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0explained filmmaker Josh Fox, who has documented the police force at Standing Rock.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWhat you do to the water protectors you do to the United States Constitution. We are sworn to uphold and protect the United States Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And they\u2019re saying listen, if you wanna burn the United States Constitution, you have to go through us. It\u2019s quite a brave and amazing act that\u2019s never happened in the history of the United States, that two thousand veterans just said you know what? Shoot at us first.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mlmAEI25KqQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>According to Doug McLean, an environmental activist at the scene, the police have used wildly disproportionate force on peaceful protesters.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cIt\u2019s crazy. Being shot with rubber bullets, a woman [Sophia Wilansky] had her arm just about blown off by a concussion grenade, there was tear gas, there was macing of civilians by the police, and we\u2019ve seen the razor wiring of a sacred site that\u2019s very important to the native population here, as well as the use of floodlights all night long which is a psychological warfare tactic, [and] the low surveillance by helicopter and airplanes is also a psychological warfare tactic. It\u2019s just insane what is happening here,\u201d<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n<p>McLean also described how a fellow protester, an Iraq war veteran, noticed a National Guard general talking with the police.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThis was a Native American veteran who\u2019d served in Iraq in 2005 in the Air Force, and this man was appalled that the military were up on the hill plotting their next move against American citizens on American soil. He called out to the general. He said you\u2019re betraying your oath to the people. You\u2019re betraying your oath to the American people, general. I see you! I see your name, I see your rank, and I\u2019m appalled that you\u2019re doing this.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Fox is worried that a full-scale deployment of the National Guard will dramatically escalate the situation.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jXtUekzPNvg\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>If the governor were to call in the National Guard, it could potentially be extraordinarily\u2026 it would be really bad. I don\u2019t think that those people are leaving, and I think there are many people who are willing to die.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cFor the North Dakota governor to be acting as the aggressor in this situation is in line with 500 years of Native American genocidal history. It is in line with a policy that stole this continent from its original inhabitants,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0he added.<\/p>\n<div class=\"arcticle__read-more read-more\">\n<p>Read more<\/p>\n<p>    <a class=\"read-more__link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rt.com\/usa\/368857-dakota-dapl-amnesty-police\/\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"read-more__cover\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.rt.com\/files\/2016.12\/thumbnail\/58401705c46188086f8b4576.jpg\" alt=\"\u00a9 Ronen Tivony \/ Global Look Press via ZUMA Press\"\/><br \/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p>The US Army Corps of Engineers, to whom the land under which the pipeline will go belongs, have twice delayed the decision on letting Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP, the company behind the pipeline, drill under Lake Oahe, which lies to the east of the Standing Rock reservation. Meanwhile the US federal government has avoided taking a firm stance on the issue, trying to maintain dialogue with all sides.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWe recognize the strong feelings that exist about the Dakota Access pipeline \u2013 feelings that in many instances arise from the complicated and painful history between the federal government and American Indians,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWe will remain committed to working with all stakeholders to enforce the law; to maintain the peace; and to reach a just solution to this challenging situation.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>However, the federal government was criticized by both sides for failing to take any action.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWhile I appreciate the attorney-general taking the time to reach out to me, neither assistance for law enforcement nor a timeline for resolution was offered,\u201d<\/em> Morton County sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier told the Guardian.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWhat real conciliation looks like is giving us all our land back,\u201d<\/em> said Xhopakelxhi, a Native American protester who has been at Standing Rock since September.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWhy are they so late in the game? They could have stepped in months ago. They could have put a moratorium on construction.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"arcticle__read-more read-more\">\n<p>Read more<\/p>\n<p>    <a class=\"read-more__link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rt.com\/usa\/368503-dakota-pipeline-cultural-genocide\/\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"read-more__cover\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.rt.com\/files\/2016.11\/thumbnail\/583cf52dc3618891198b4589.jpg\" alt=\"Women march to Backwater Bridge during a protest against plans to pass the Dakota Access pipeline near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, U.S. November 27, 2016. \u00a9 Stephanie Keith\"\/><br \/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p>Some activists are trying to fight back using legal action. Civil rights attorney Rachel Lederman of the National Lawyers Guild is among those filing a class action lawsuit against the North Dakota County Sheriff\u2019s Office, describing the behavior of the authorities as unconstitutional.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cIt\u2019s pretty simple. If there\u2019s violations of the law, of course the police are entitled to make arrests. If someone\u2019s attacking the police, of course they\u2019re allowed to use reasonable force to defend themselves,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0she explained to RT.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cBut to use impact munitions fired from shotguns, explosive grenades [and] water cannons simply to break up a protest or even a prayer ceremony, that\u2019s unconstitutional.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Protests first erupted over the Dakota Access Pipeline in April, but received little mainstream media coverage until recent months. Critics of the pipeline say it will cut through indigenous land, including sacred burial sites, as well as threaten the local environment and drinking water. The Standing Rock protests are said to be the largest gathering of native peoples in modern American history, involving members of 280 tribes.<\/p>\n<p>Veterans on-site have begun building a makeshift barracks and mess hall near the Oceti Sakowin camp site. However, for those who couldn\u2019t make it to North Dakota there are other ways they can help.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWe ask folks, members of Veterans for Peace, and veterans everywhere and allies of ours to contact their local officials, contact their congresspeople, contact the state of North Dakota and the banks that are funding the Dakota Access pipeline and say that this is wrong,\u201d<\/em> Brian Trautman told RT.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cAll these methods we hope will finally put an end to this pipeline.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rt.com\/usa\/369119-veterans-constitution-dapl-protest\/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=RSS\">RT<\/a>. This piece was reprinted by <a href=\"http:\/\/rinf.com\">RINF Alternative News<\/a> with permission or license.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>US military veterans continue to arrive at Standing Rock, with up to 3,500 expected in total. They are due to meet with tribal elders to discuss how they can best help the ongoing protest, marked by heavy police force and bitterly cold weather conditions. Members of \u201cVeterans Stand for Standing Rock,\u201d who have been told [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":282531,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[519],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-282530","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-newswire"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=282530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282530\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/282531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=282530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=282530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=282530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}