FBI representatives have contacted several water protectors, raising alarm that an indigenous-led movement is being construed as domestic terrorism
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The FBI is investigating political activists campaigning against the Dakota Access pipeline, diverting agents charged with preventing terrorist attacks to instead focus their attention on indigenous activists and environmentalists.
The Guardian has established that multiple officers within the FBIs joint terrorism taskforce have attempted to contact at least three people tied to the Standing Rock water protector movement in North Dakota.
The purpose of the officers inquiries into Standing Rock, and scope of the task forces work, remains unknown. Agency officials declined to comment. But the fact that the officers have even tried to communicate with activists is alarming to free-speech experts who argue that anti-terrorism agents have no business scrutinizing protesters.
The idea that the government would attempt to construe this indigenous-led non-violent movement into some kind of domestic terrorism investigation is unfathomable to me, said Lauren Regan, a civil rights attorney...
She described the encounters as attempted knocks and talks, meaning law enforcement showed up at peoples doors without a subpoena or warrant and tried to get them to voluntarily cooperate with an interview.
The three individuals, who include a Native American and a non-indigenous activist, asserted their fifth amendment rights and did not respond to the officers...
Since the summer, law enforcement officials have made roughly 700 arrests, in some cases leading to serious felony charges and possibly lengthy state prison sentences. Following recent indictments, at least six activists are now facing charges in federal court. Rumors about JTTF have caused further stress among the activists.
Police have repeatedly painted the anti-pipeline movement as dangerous, which is why JTTF may be involved, Regan said.
From the very beginning, local law enforcement has attempted to justify its militarized presence by making false allegations that somehow these water protectors were violent.
This is not the first time the JTTF has been tied to an investigation of civil rights protesters. Records from Minnesota suggested that the taskforce monitored a Black Lives Matter demonstration.
For indigenous leaders who have vowed to continue fighting the pipeline on the ground, the FBI investigations and ongoing federal prosecutions have become increasingly worrisome.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...ck-fbi-investigation-dakota-access?CMP=twt_gu
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The FBI is investigating political activists campaigning against the Dakota Access pipeline, diverting agents charged with preventing terrorist attacks to instead focus their attention on indigenous activists and environmentalists.
The Guardian has established that multiple officers within the FBIs joint terrorism taskforce have attempted to contact at least three people tied to the Standing Rock water protector movement in North Dakota.
The purpose of the officers inquiries into Standing Rock, and scope of the task forces work, remains unknown. Agency officials declined to comment. But the fact that the officers have even tried to communicate with activists is alarming to free-speech experts who argue that anti-terrorism agents have no business scrutinizing protesters.
The idea that the government would attempt to construe this indigenous-led non-violent movement into some kind of domestic terrorism investigation is unfathomable to me, said Lauren Regan, a civil rights attorney...
She described the encounters as attempted knocks and talks, meaning law enforcement showed up at peoples doors without a subpoena or warrant and tried to get them to voluntarily cooperate with an interview.
The three individuals, who include a Native American and a non-indigenous activist, asserted their fifth amendment rights and did not respond to the officers...
Since the summer, law enforcement officials have made roughly 700 arrests, in some cases leading to serious felony charges and possibly lengthy state prison sentences. Following recent indictments, at least six activists are now facing charges in federal court. Rumors about JTTF have caused further stress among the activists.
Police have repeatedly painted the anti-pipeline movement as dangerous, which is why JTTF may be involved, Regan said.
From the very beginning, local law enforcement has attempted to justify its militarized presence by making false allegations that somehow these water protectors were violent.
This is not the first time the JTTF has been tied to an investigation of civil rights protesters. Records from Minnesota suggested that the taskforce monitored a Black Lives Matter demonstration.
For indigenous leaders who have vowed to continue fighting the pipeline on the ground, the FBI investigations and ongoing federal prosecutions have become increasingly worrisome.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...ck-fbi-investigation-dakota-access?CMP=twt_gu
