Dakota Access Pipeline: Police fire on media drones, mass arrests and treaty rights declared

‘Protests over development of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in North Dakota led to more than 125 arrests and a highway blockade over the weekend, as pipeline opponents claimed “unceded territory” in the direct path of construction.
Meanwhile, local law enforcement fired on two unmanned media drones, claiming that “protesters attacked a helicopter with a drone,” and that the helicopter pilot and passengers were “in fear of their lives.”
The weekend developments marked a distinct heightening of tensions between self-proclaimed water protectors and law enforcement. Roadblocks went up on State Highway 1806 on Sunday, as water protectors declared eminent domain and set up a new winter camp on private land known as Cannonball Ranch. The property was recently purchased by Dakota Access pipeline company, a subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners, developer of the pipeline.’
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