How a group of peaceful protestors changed the direction of the Dakota Access Pipeline
The most popular line of the Declaration of Independence is also one of the most important, stating “We hold these Truths to be self evident that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. America is about human rights and freedom for all people but sadly that means that some people have to fight to make that happen, even today.
The members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and thousands of allies in North Dakota recently won their long fight against the Dakota Pipeline from building a $3.8 billion pipeline that would carry half a million gallons of crude oil everyday through a prominent water source and sacred burial lands of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.
Starting in August of 2016, protesters of the Sioux tribe started blocking constructions sites. Tribal members of other tribes show their support by joining the fight and as news broke out about the construction, protest numbers grew by the thousands and included many celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and more.
As the number of protesters grew, the aggressive attitude of the Dakota Pipeline became more dangerous with private security and rabid dogs that would attack any protesters who got too close to the construction site. Though the protest became more dangerous every month, protesters still grew in numbers and peacefully protested against the pipeline construction.
At the end of last month, November, authorities in the area took action with water canons in freezing weather, hoping to freeze the protesters into dispersing from the area, started using rubber bullets to attack any protesters that got too close, and fired tear gas into the mass.
For many veterans, this attack was the last straw and they decided to join the fight. This opened the eyes of many and finally on December 4th, 2016 after months of peaceful protesting, the Department of the Army announced that it would not allow the pipeline to be built through the Sioux tribe reserve. The news of victory gives many people hope and proof that peaceful demonstrations and hard work do pay off in the end. As Steven Perry, a 66-year-old Vietnam veteran states, “This is not just a native issue, this is an issue for everyone.”