On Friday, September 9th a see-saw battle took place between the highest levels of the federal government; the judiciary, cabinet agencies, and the military disputed the next moves involving construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. A judge first denied requests to halt pipeline construction, and shortly afterwards the Department of Justice, the Army, and the Department of Interior ruled against the judge’s ruling, ordering the company to halt construction over one site.

A day after the governor of North Dakota activated the National Guard to patrol checkpoints around the location of the ongoing water protection encampment, Federal Judge James Boasberg ruled against the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their attempts to halt the construction of the pipeline from going under Lake Oahe.

To see the full transcript of the Judge’s ruling, see below:

Shortly after the news that the federal Judge had approved the continuation of construction, the federal government issued a “Joint Statement from the Department of Justice, the Department of the Army and the Department of the Interior Regarding Standing Rock Sioux Tribe v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers“.

In this landmark statement overruling the Federal judge, they include:

“we request that the pipeline company voluntarily pause all construction activity within 20 miles east or west of Lake Oahe.“

In the release, quoted below, the federal agencies asked for construction to cease, and called for attempts to respect First Amendment and treaty rights.

“In recent days, we have seen thousands of demonstrators come together peacefully, with support from scores of sovereign tribal governments, to exercise their First Amendment rights and to voice heartfelt concerns about the environment and historic, sacred sites.  It is now incumbent on all of us to develop a path forward that serves the broadest public interest.“

Water protectors from around the site of the ever-growing encampment and concerned community from around the nation rallied on Friday afternoon in Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota.

Unicorn Riot was live for this event.

Riot police w helmets/batons look on as water protectors rally to say #NoDapl LIVE: https://t.co/3hddgOuN2p pic.twitter.com/WaGsjfN8tU

— UNICORN RIOT (@UR_Ninja) September 9, 2016

Singing and drumming on North Dakota state capitol grounds after press conference https://t.co/3hddgOuN2p #NoDAPL pic.twitter.com/D9587o8vCq

— UNICORN RIOT (@UR_Ninja) September 9, 2016

Here is the stream from the event in Bismarck.

Follow our social media pages (tw / fb) for more breaking information from the #NoDAPL encampment. To gather more context around the issues, please see below.

For a recap from the month of August’s action, 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

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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