Police attack Standing Rock water protectors, over 300 injured, 17 hospitalized

Overnight Nov 21-21, the Morton County Sheriff's Department opened fire with water cannon in subfreezing temperatures, with tear gas, and with rubber bullets on water protectors who had set out to clear a highway barricade held by police since the assault on the Treaty Camp which had blocked the route of the Dakota Access Pipeline.Over 300 people were injured by this storm of "less lethal" weaponry unleased by police probably empowered by Donald Trump's election.

Youtube video of water cannon assault-both ground and drone(aerial) footage

Update Nov 22: Water Protector faces possible amputation, Reported injury count rises to more than 300, water protector Sophia Wilansky faces second surgery in attempt to save her left arm. She was critically injured by a "concussion" grenade thrown or shot by police. These grenades do not throw shrapnel as frags do but they are still high explosive devices and can inflict blast injuries at close range same as any other explosive device

WTOP Radio and DC area mainstream news outlets have been utterly silent about this police assault on peaceful water protectors while running nonstop coverage of police officers being shot in San Antyonia, TX and St Louis, which like North Dakota is nowhere near Washington DC. One elder went into cardiac arrest under the storm of freezing water and projectiles at Standing Rock and has survived, but WTOP Radio and FOX News do not seem to be concerned about that.

The Indigenous Environmental Network published this report:

Cannon Ball - On November 20th at approximately 6PM CST over 100 Water Protectors from the Oceti Sakowin and Sacred Stone Camps mobilized to a nearby bridge to remove a barricade that was built by the Morton County Sheriff's Department and the State of North Dakota. This barricade, built after law enforcement raided the 1851 treaty camp, not only restricts North Dakota residents from using the 1806 freely but also puts the community of Cannon Ball, the camps, and the Standing Rock Tribe at risk as emergency services are unable to use that highway.

Water Protectors used a semi-truck to remove two burnt military trucks from the road and were successful at removing one truck from the bridge before police began to attack Water Protectors with tear gas, water canons, mace, rubber bullets, and sound cannons.

At 1:30am CST the Indigenous Rising Media team acquired an update from the Oceti Sakowin Medic team that nearly 200 people were injured, 12 people were hospitalized for head injuries, and one elder went into cardiac arrest at the front lines. At this time, law enforcement was still firing rubber bullets and the water cannon at Water Protectors. About 500 Water protectors gathered at the peak of the non-violent direct action.

This format statememt was also issued by the Indigenous Environmental Network:

"The North Dakota law enforcement are cowards. Those who are hired to protect citizens attacked peaceful water protectors with water cannons in freezing temperatures and targeted their weapons at people's’ faces and heads.

The Morton County Sheriff's Department, the North Dakota State Patrol, and the Governor of North Dakota are committing crimes against humanity. They are accomplices with the Dakota Access Pipeline LLC and its parent company Energy Transfer Partners in a conspiracy to protect the corporation's illegal activities.

Anyone investing and bankrolling these companies are accomplices. If President Obama does nothing to stop this inhumane treatment of this country’s original inhabitants, he will become an accomplice. And there is no doubt that President Elect Donald Trump is already an accomplice as he is invested in DAPL”.

end statement by EIN

You hear that TD Bank, Citibank, and Washington DC? There is Day of Action called against the Dakota Access Pipeline right here in DC on Nov 28, time and place TBA