‘Violent confrontations’ translates to ‘protesters’ have attacked police and members of the public.
BISMARCK, N.D. — The chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe said Friday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to close an area where people have been camping for months to protest the Dakota Access oil pipeline.
Dave Archambault said in a statement that he received a letter from the Corps, dated Friday, which says all lands north of the Cannonball River will be closed Dec. 5.
“The letter states that the lands will be closed to public access for safety concerns,” Archambault said.
Representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers didn’t immediately return messages Friday seeking comment and verification of the letter.
The letter, provided by the tribe, says: “To be clear, this means that no member of the general public, to include Dakota Access pipeline protesters, can be on these Corps lands.”
It says anyone on land north of the river after Dec. 5 will be trespassing and may be prosecuted. It also says anyone who stays on the land does so at his or her own risk.
The letter, from Army Corps of Engineers Col. John Henderson, says the closure is necessary to protect the general public from violent confrontations between protesters and authorities and to protect demonstrators from illness, injury or death during North Dakota’s harsh winter months. It also says that the area does not have necessary first responder services or facilities to protect people during the winter.