Call For Mass Phone Zap: Indigenous Water Protectors Violently Arrested on Private Land by Pipeline Company

“We need you here now!” – Cherri Foytlin

Millions watched in 2016 and 2017 as thousands gathered at Standing Rock to take on the Dakota Access Pipeline. Both the looming threat of a climate change fueled apocalypse and a collective desire to stand up to the ever increasing militarized police state that again was being marshaled to put down Native resistance and facilitate the pillaging of land and water, brought tribes, organizations, and people together across the country and beyond to put their bodies in the physical path of the bulldozers.

In the face of an almost total media blackout, the communards at Standing Rock won wide support for their heroic resistance and defense of the land, inspiring a variety of pipeline and land defense campaigns which kicked off across the country.

Now, almost two years later, people in Louisiana are fighting the tail end of the Dakota Access Pipeline, the Bayou Bridge pipeline which threatens the land, water, and eco-systems used by millions of humans, animals, and plants.

In the last several weeks, this fight has intensified, with Energy Transfer Partner goons and local police harassing and arresting Water Protectors, even on private property where land owners have given their expressed consent for protesters to be.

Yesterday, police violently attacked indigenous water protectors and are now holding them on $61,500 bail, while they face trumped up felony charges.

From L’eau Est La Vie Camp on Facebook:

Yesterday four people were arrested and many more violently attacked on private land that we have permission to be on. Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) DOES NOT have permission to be on the land and does not have an easement for it, yet they are continuing construction there anyway.

As we stopped this illegal pipeline construction, police, ETP workers and private security responded with batons, pepper spray and brute force. Four people were arrested and are being held on trumped up felony charges.

One protector had their labeled medication on them when they were arrested, but the Sheriffs are refusing to let them have access to it. Another water protector has a serious injury and is requesting medical treatment but the Sheriffs are ignoring the request.

From L’eau Est La Vie Camp the bail situation:

Bail has been set at a total of $63,500 for the four water protectors arrested yesterday. All four are facing trumped up felony charges.

DONATE to help get our folks out of jail: gofundme.com/nobbp

These protectors were peacefully stopping illegal construction of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline in the Atchafalaya Basin when they were charged at and violently attacked by police and workers from Energy Transfer Partners.

We had permission to be on the land from the landowner and we were breaking no laws. But ETP does NOT have a legal right to build on that land.

Water Protectors are also asking that people make several call in support of those arrested and demand that the charges be dropped!:

SUPPORT NEEDED – MAKE THESE TWO CALLS

Call the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s office and demand that the water protectors who were violently arrested yesterday be given their medication, have access to medical care and be released: (337) 394-8931

Call Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards and demand that he intervene in this situation and to stop the illegal construction of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline in the Atchafalaya Basin: (225) 342-7015

Millions of people across the so-called United States and the world support direct action campaigns to stop climate change and to defend water and land – here is a chance for people to show that support, simply by callings and demanding that such attacks come to an end – immediately!