Private Security Attacks Dakota Access Pipeline Protestors

Photo from the Sacred Stone Camp Facebook page

Energy Transfer Partners, the corporation behind the North Dakota Access pipeline, has hired private security guards from an unknown company to attack and harass protestors with dogs and teargas. The chairman of ETP is billionaire Kelcy Warren. He has the full backing of the state and the police, who first took away water from the protest encampment and now have issued a statement on the attacks defending the private security. Video taken by Democracy Now! contradicts the claims of security and police, and shows the dogs being encouraged to bite protestors (one dog is shown with blood on its snout after biting a protestor). Yet again we are being asked to believe the word of the antagonists: first they tell us the pipeline is safe and good for everyone, now they claim to be the victims. All attempts are being made to legitimize any and all violence against the protestors, who are standing up against capitalism and the system's blatant disregard for the people and planet.

As usual the corporate controlled media has spun the story into slander against protestors by presenting the violence as ambiguous or mutual, with headlines reading "Oil Protests Turn Violent" (NBC) and "Clash Halts Work on North Dakota Pipeline (WSJ). In contrast, the slightly left of center Democracy Now! was broadcasting live and described the events as "Dakota Access Pipeline Company Attacks Native American Protestors with Dogs and Pepper Spray."