Protests Over Pipeline Spread Across the Country

Protests continue to grow around the country over the 1,172 mile Dakota Access Pipeline.

Related: Violence Erupts over Pipeline

Construction on the Dakota Access Pipeline has been the focus of escalating protests since construction was halted over the Labor Day weekend after violence erupted. 

Over the past three months, there have been three protests in Dallas, the home of the company behind the pipeline, Energy Transfer Partners. In September, dozens of people gathered in front of Energy Transfer's corporate headquarters and this past week, protesters yelled concerns at attendees at a fundraiser in Klyde Warren Park. 

Other Protests

  • Yesterday, more than 800 people protested in Los Angeles' MacArthur Par.  showed support for the pipeline activists. Among the crowd were celebrities including Susan Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo.
  • Over the weekend, protestors set up a camp in Cannonball ND, directly in the path of the project, according to Fox News. The groups erected tents and teepees on private land that the group contends rightfully belongs to native Americans.
  • In Morton County, ND, more than 127 people were arrested while Sheriff;s used pepper spray on the crowd. 
North Dakota sheriffs said protests were neither lawful nor peaceful. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe countered that law enforcement officials beat area demonstrators and using a militarized response to quell the protests.
— UPI.com

Demonstrators are concerned about the environmental impact of the pipeline, including contamination of the Missouri River, which is the primary water source for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Tribal leaders are also upset that the pipeline will disturb sacred burial grounds.