U.S. Court of Appeals Judges Hear Native Pleas to Halt DAPL Construction

By Yessenia Funes Oct 05, 2016

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has waited nearly a month for another day in court against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Today (October 5), the tribe stood before a three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to hear whether it will grant an injunction as the appeals process moves forward. The Thomson Reuters Foundation reported that a decision should not be expected for months.

Meanwhile, in North Dakota, Morton County police and at least two armored vehicles met water protectors who were attempting to block construction. In a Facebook video posted by Dallas Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network, he confirms that construction did stop at least 15 miles from where they gathered. 

In Iowa, further actions halted pipeline construction, resulting in at least one arrest, according to the Facebook page of Mississippi Stand, an organization created to protect the Mississippi River. Drilling is occurring underneath the river, where Mississippi Stand have camped out since the end of September. Lee County officials have threatened to evict the action camp tomorrow (October 6). People from Standing Rock arrived to the campsite yesterday to stand with the Iowan organizers.

This has been an uphill battle for pipeline opponents: Police have arrested about 55 water protectors since direct actions began, and private security guards pepper sprayed and released dogs on Native water protectors engaged in prayer on September 3.

For a timeline on how the pipeline battle developed and grew, read here.