Lockdown Stops DAPL Construction in Iowa, 3 Arrested, Including Unicorn Riot Journalist
Lee County, IA – Early Wednesday afternoon, a group of water protectors entered a Dakota Access Pipeline construction site where earth was being cleared. This is a different site than the drill bore area near the Mississippi River, where most actions in Iowa have taken place thus far.
A woman named Krissana Mara, age 31, attached herself to the arm of an excavator using a lock-box device at a site down a dirt road off of 320 Street on the side of Highway 286.
Montrose Police and the Lee County Sheriff’s department responded to the action shortly after the lockdown began.
#Breaking: Water protector currently locked to DAPL construction excavator in Lee County, Iowa. Unicorn Riot journalist arrested #NoDAPL pic.twitter.com/ZZ9g6IyOQa
— UNICORN RIOT (@UR_Ninja) October 12, 2016
Montrose Police Chief Jordan Maag (who was sworn into office in 2014 at age 22) arrested Jimmy Betts, who had been present to provide food and water to Krissana Mara during her lockdown.
Lee County Sheriff’s deputy Dakota Foley arrested a Unicorn Riot journalist who was present documenting the direct action.
Video: Unicorn Riot journalist arrested this afternoon by Lee County, Iowa sheriff deputies while documenting #NoDAPL direct action. pic.twitter.com/b0Af6o8Xhz
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) October 12, 2016
As the end of the workday approached, Karissa voluntarily unlocked from the lockbox and was promptly arrested.
Water protector still attached to arm of excavator at DAPL site in Lee County,Iowa. Work still halted at this site #NoDAPL #MississippiStand pic.twitter.com/Y2jLvKuodL
— UNICORN RIOT (@UR_Ninja) October 12, 2016
Unicorn Riot has repeatedly attempted to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Department and the Lee County Attorney for comment about the arrest of our journalist on Wednesday as well as the arrest of another Unicorn Riot journalist the Friday before. Neither have yet responded.
Our reporter arrested while covering Wednesday’s lock-down action is currently imprisoned (as of 1am CDT on October 13, 2016) at the Lee County jail in Montrose, Iowa.
Deputy Foley told us that our journalist and Krissana Mara will both see a judge on Thursday, although our journalist who was arrested last week was told the same thing, and did not see a judge after being held in jail over night last week, and also did not see a judge when they appeared in court on Wednesday, October 12. When we asked him on Thursday morning about the status of our journalist Jenn, who he arrested, Deputy Foley responded, “you don’t have a journalist”:
This AM, when asked about our journalist he arrested, Lee County,Iowa Sheriff Deputy Dakota Foley says "you don't have a journalist" #NoDAPL pic.twitter.com/8Mq2t1PlOu
— UNICORN RIOT (@UR_Ninja) October 13, 2016
UPDATE [11:30AM 10/13/16]: Our reporter Jenn, arrested yesterday during #MississippiStand #NoDAPL coverage, was just released from Lee County, IA jail on $300 bond. As far as we know, 100+ individuals arrested till now at #NoDAPL protests in Lee County have been booked/released w/o bond. Yet bond was required to release our reporter Jenn.
Unicorn Riot will continue to regularly provide direct updates about resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Continue to follow our media on Twitter, Facebook, and our website for more information surrounding the ongoing struggles to protect the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.
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To see Unicorn Riot’s coverage of the anti-Dakota Access Pipeline struggle, see below.
August 2016
- 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
- September 6, indigenous water protectors swarmed Dakota Access Pipeline site, stopped work
- September 7, Uŋpa Nuŋpa was interviewed about ongoing #noDAPL actions
- North Dakota highway patrol refused to release email correspondence with Energy Transfer Partners
- September 8, ND National Guard took over Dakota Access Pipeline checkpoints
- Friday, September 9, US Govt. overruled federal judge and requested pipeline construction halted at Lake Oahe
- Meanwhile, cultural activities continued at #NoDAPL camps despite more arrests/warrants
- September 13, 20 were arrested during #NoDAPL lockdown, including 2 Unicorn Riot journalists
- September 14, direct actions continued against Dakota Access Pipeline while legal repression intensified
- On September 16 a federal judge dissolved the unconstitutional temporary restraining order Dakota Access, LLC had filed against Stranding Rock tribal members
- September 19, as solidarity protests spread nationwide, the federal appeals court ordered construction temporarily stop on Dakota Access segment as Solidarity Protests Spread Nationwide
- September 21, #NoDAPL noise demo demanded freedom for jailed water protector Olowan Martinez
- September 22, water protectors disrupted the annual meeting of the North Dakota Petroleum Council
- September 25, water protectors planted trees on DAPL construction site
- In Iowa on September 26, a non-violent direct action from the Mississippi Stand camp stopped DAPL construction for the day
- September 26, a caravan of water protectors stopped work at DAPL site
- September 27, militarized police arrested 23 water protectors in DAPL work stoppage
- September 29, a #NoDAPL solidarity action took place at MN Enbridge office
October 2016
- October 3-4 saw the “Toxic Tour,” Governor debate disruption, and water protectors attend their court arraignment
- October 4, we learned North Dakota Governor Dalrymple’s email inbox was full of support for #NoDAPL
- October 5, Buffer Zone Holds as Caravans Continue to Disrupt DAPL – New Felony Charges
- October 7, 6 Arrested in Iowa #NoDAPL Action, Including Unicorn Riot Journalist
- October 8, Iowa Water Protectors Blockade DAPL Drill Site Twice in 24 Hours
- October 9, Federal Appeals Court Rules to Allow DAPL Construction
- October 10, 27 Arrests After Water Protectors Pray at DAPL Site on Indigenous People’s Day
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“.
