The Dakota Access Pipeline is meant to connect oil production areas in North Dakota to extisting pipelines in Illinois. Pipelines already exist for that route, but this new pipeline is a more direct route and will save money in the long run. But it goes through the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and dangerously close to the community's only source of fresh water. Dakota Access claims the chances of a leak are slim, but there have been multiple reports of leaks from their pipelines in the past, and they've hidden 300ish spills in the last 2 years alone. They nixed a proposed route once because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said came too close to Bismark. But those were white people. So they moved the proposed route downstream where it only affects Standing Rock.
So people started protesting by chaining themselves to the construction equipment. The response was swift. First private security sicced dogs on the protesters. Militarized police moved in and disrupted the protesters' camp and have made several mass arrests. They've been so aggressive that Amnesty International has sent observers to monitor the protest. Despite this, the police are still pepper spraying people point-blank, even though they're just standing there. A few people have even been shot by nonlethal rounds for no reason, though I wouldn't use the term "point blank" in this instance. They're being dehumanized, forced to sit in kennels after being arrested, and getting strip searched. The only reason any of this is in the mainstream news is because a pretty white actress has been protesting alongside the Sioux. Fortunately, Shailene Woodley seems to know her shit, rather than just trying to capitalize on some good publicity. Hell, there was even a Dakota Access employee who tried to infiltrate the protesters with an assault rifle, but he was caught immediately. LOL false flagowned.
Early into this whole thing, Obama urged Dakota Access to halt construction while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers looked into the possibility of rerouting the pipeline. Despite that, Dakota Access has been busy constructing the pipeline day and night, ignoring the government and moving closer and closer to the end goal. North Dakota is a big oil state, and the governor is friendly to the oil companies, which may explain a few things. The oil industry is the top political contributor to the governor.
My prediction is that the movement slowly loses steam and the pipeline gets built. A year or so from now, there will be a spill and the water supply will get contaminated, everyone will say "I told you so," and then it will be out of the news again. Maybe a token fine will be levied against Dakota Access.
