The New York Times gets something right with an editorial on the Standing Rock violence.
When injustice aligns with cruelty, and heavy weaponry is involved, the results can be shameful and bloody. Witness what happened on Sunday in North Dakota, when law enforcement officers escalated their tactics against unarmed American Indians and allies who have waged months of protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline.
They drenched protesters with water cannons on a frigid night, with temperatures in the 20s. According to protesters and news accounts, the officers also fired rubber bullets, pepper spray, percussion grenades and tear gas. More than 160 people were reportedly injured, with one protester’s arm damaged so badly she might lose it.
They call on the federal government to step in and end the violence from the pipeline goons. That’s what ought to be done, but I’m questioning whether our government has the will to do what is right — I know they won’t in January.
When the NYT starts off referring to “heavy weaponry”, they lost me, as heavy weaponry are things like an M2 .50 BMG machine gun, artillery and similar objects of mass death and mayhem.
From all reports that I’ve found, counting protestors, small arms were used and water, the latter being equally as potentially lethal as a “rubber bullet” to the head, due to the very real risk of hypothermia.*
There is no need to add hyperbole, as that detracts from already current atrocities that have been committed. Atrocities that the US government has repeatedly condemned in other nations, but seems to be acceptable here when the real government, big business witnesses contempt displayed by citizens against it.
But, considering some certain events from not all that long ago, I ask, where are all of those militias, who claim to be standing up for We the People?
Oh wait, no free beer at the protest.**
*My very first patient as a military medic was a service member with severe hypothermia. Due to an odd congruence of circumstances, we had a shattered and dysfunctional command staff and mass confusion.
Fortunately, a bit of common sense, best treatment practices, some inventiveness and disregard for the condition of US Army property won the day and that service member recovered fully.
**Have I missed any repressive, contemptible group? If so, let me know. Just don’t gripe that I’m not there, as I’d not be unarmed.
Nothing personal, I just have this thing that, if someone shoots at me, I fully reserve the right to return the favor.
The attacks on protesters are not new, they used attack dogs back in September. The federal government has had the ability to stop this from the beginning, but they lack the will to do so.
If you look at the video very closely, you may see the ghost of Bull Connor in the background, looking on approvingly.
So is the NYT sending a reporter yet?
I don’t understand something. Rosanna Deerchild’s excellent program on CBC radio, “Unreserved”, this Sunday evening & repeated Tuesday lunchtime, featured the camp at Standing Rock. But there was no mention of the assault. I understand that the program was made before things got bad, but surely a report on the situation could’ve been added? It would have reached, & informed, many sympathetic listeners.
I think CBC was remiss there.
I just realized something. My listening to the radio does get interrupted & even drowned out sometimes. Maybe I missed a short news item?
Why has Obama ignored this?
He stopped Keystone Pipeline using native American lands, why not exec order North Dakota Pipeline cancelled (in the correct form) as well?
Isn’t that the usual MO of a “lame duck”, write executive orders to clean up loose ends?
*waiting*
@ wzrd1 #1:
Technically you are correct, but in the context of unarmed protester a military designation might not be that appropriate.
:Snort: Standing Rock pleaded with Obama, with the DOJ, months ago, for oversight. They have repeated that plea, over and over and over and over. Nothing. Silence.
See Kendrick Eagle’s video. Obama made a lot of promises to the people of Inyan Woslata in 2014.
We’ll be back out at the Oceti Sakowin camp tomorrow.
wzrd1:
YOU NEED TO SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP. No one gives a shit about you or your constant need to the know it all in the center spotlight. You haven’t been there. I have, and there is a fucktonne of military equipment out there – arms and vehicles. Just because they haven’t used it yet doesn’t mean it isn’t there, you fucking shit encrusted asspimple.
1. Concussion grenades, rubber bullets, and firehoses against unarmed protesters counts as heavy weaponry.
2. Please stay away from any and all peaceful protests if you go in with the attitude that you get to shoot back.
And I’m sure the police and oil company would love you for it since that’ll only result in finally giving them the retro-active justification for their violence that they’ve been looking for this whole time.
@PZ # 11: I totally agree. Percussion grenades and rubber bullets might be classified as “non-lethal” or more correctly “less-than-lethal” weapons, but they are far from benign and can in fact kill people.
Question: How many police officers have been injured by these protesters so far?
#Erland Meyer, I recommend reading Democracy Now, as well as Caine’s reports.
https://www.democracynow.org/topics/dakota_access.
Most of the coverage shows (except for the sheriff department’s statements) that the violence is entirely one sided, as the police and private security seek to violently suppress the protests. I believe that the police have only ever claimed one officer being injured from a thrown rock.
More about the injured protestor:
Protester undergoes surgery for injuries – (Bismarck Tribune)
Erlend Meyer @13:
They have been deliberately aiming at hands and heads. A number of people have sustained serious injuries, hundreds, actually. Also, the cops have barricaded the quickest route to Bismarck, which has the nearest hospitals. Also, the only ambulances which showed up on Sunday were those from Standing Rock rez. Not one fucking state ambulance.
Want to know what’s going on? Stay current with #nodapl.
PZ:
Oh, the thugs would love that. Kirchmeier has been promoting the “oh, they are violent savage animals” crap from day fucking one, and he’s still doing it, trying to say the protectors were trying to make bombs, and that’s what happened to Sophia. It’s a goddamned lie, and if you watch the live streams, you’ll know that, but Kirchmeier still lies.
You wouldn’t fucking believe what it looks like out there. As for supposed investigations and accountability on part of the thugs? That won’t happen. The arson which took place at the Oceti Sakowin camp was never investigated, even though they said they would. They fucking knew about it, and didn’t care. They are all working for oil.
Oh yes, Kirchmeier was just handed another 5 million to keep us nasty savages down. This is what that criminal asshole thinks has been necessary so far.
Last time I checked, peaceful protest was a constitutional right.
Isn’t the police supposed to protect our rights?
Nope. Their job is to serve the government. If they don’t care about your rights, neither will the police.
@ 20:
Oh no it isn’t, not in nDakota. Here, there job is to do whatever Oil wants them to do. KKKJack, the governor, is openly corrupt, he alone constitutes the “oversight committee” regarding oil, and he’s invested everything he has in this shit. No, all the thugs here belong to oil.
In that case the government is bought and paid by Big Oil. The police is a tool, it’s usually that simple. They do what their told by the ones paying the bills and writing the rules.
Sorry, I can be quite naive sometimes.
What was I thinking, the police serving the people and all
Caine
Stay safe!