Federal Judge Throws Out Dakota Access, LLC Restraining Order Against Standing Rock Tribal Members
Bismarck, ND – Today, September 16th, North Dakota U.S. District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland ruled to dissolve a Temporary Restraining Order which had previously been in place ordering Standing Rock Sioux tribal chairman Dave Archambault II, several other tribal members and unnamed individuals from “unlawfully interfering in any way” with the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Lawyers with the National Lawyers Guild successfully argued to the court that
“the restraining order was an unconstitutional prior restraint on fundamental First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and assembly and free expression of religion, was not supported by competent evidence, and that Dakota Access does not have standing to prohibit water protectors from praying at and protecting ancestral sacred sites on public or private land.” – NLG
Clifton Verle Hollow, one of the people named by Dakota Access, LLC in the now-dissolved Temporary Restraining Order said,
“I am pleased that the court has dropped its order preventing us from doing what we have traditionally done…I participated in these actions to protect my family’s right to hunt, fish, and swim in clean water. I want my kids to be proud that we stood up to protect our source of clean drinking water.” – Clifton Verle Hollow
Read Judge Hovland’s full ruling, as well as the National Lawyers Guild statement about the ruling, below:
order-dissolving-tro-9-16-2016press-rls-tro-dissolved
To see Unicorn Riot’s coverage of the Sacred Stone Camp and frontline anti-pipeline struggle, see below.
- After covering the camp in the spring of 2016, Unicorn Riot returned to Standing Rock Reservation on Wednesday, August 10th, when Standing Rock tribal members and allies blocked the entrance to the Dakota Access Pipeline construction site.
- On Thursday, August 11th, a dozen or so people were arrested blocking the construction site entrances.
- Day 3, Friday, the fight to protect land & water intensified around the construction sites of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
- On the 4th day, the pipeline resistance encampment swelled and prepared for more action.
- Monday, August 15th, land defenders stormed the construction site halting construction, and the next day construction was halted as well.
- August 17th saw State Police begin checkpoints, roadblocks, and psyops as protesters united to defend water.
- August 24th, camps prepared as Federal injunction hearing looms.
- Camps Organize to Stay as Injunction Postponed.
- On August 31st, Non-Violent Direct Action Stopped DAPL Construction for Over 6 Hours.
September 2016
- Indigenous Water Protectors Swarm Dakota Access Pipeline Site, Stop Work
- Ongoing #NoDAPL Water Protection Actions – Interview With Uŋpa Nuŋpa
- North Dakota Highway Patrol Refuses to Release Emails with Energy Transfer Partners
- ND National Guard Take Over Dakota Access Pipeline Checkpoints
- US Govt. Overrules Federal Judge, Orders Pipeline Construction Halted at Lake Oahe
- Cultural Activities Continue at #NoDAPL Camps, More Arrests/Warrants
- 20 Arrested During #NoDAPL Lockdown, Including 2 Unicorn Riot Journalists
- Direct Actions Continue Against Dakota Access Pipeline, Legal Repression Intensifies
For our coverage earlier this spring of the Sacred Stone Camp, see May 27th report, “Dakota Access Pipeline Blockade Enters 2nd Month“; May 5th, “Sacred Stone Camp Resists Dakota Access Pipeline“; April 3rd, “Tribal Citizens Build Camp in Path of Oil Pipeline“; March 29th, “Tribal Citizens Prepare to Blockade Bakken Oil Pipeline“.
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