Central ND News

On October 5, 2016, Morton County officials blocked off roads going through St. Anthony area to prevent Dakota Access Pipeline protestors from disturbing active work sites and blocking access to the community. 

Law enforcement officials in Morton County coordinated efforts to prevent mobile protests from targeting construction efforts along the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). A convoy of 100-150 demonstrators was observed heading towards various worksites, prompting officials to take precautionary measures.

To manage the situation, law enforcement blocked Morton County Road 136 off Highway 6 near St. Anthony. Officers informed protesters that they could not drive through St. Anthony, as the increased traffic could hinder emergency responses for both the community and local schools.

Residents in the St. Anthony area were notified of the protests and road closures, and the local school was put on lockdown as a safety measure.

Protesters subsequently redirected their efforts to other locations in the vicinity, where construction activities along the DAPL, west of Highway 6 and outside of the designated 20-mile exclusion zone, were momentarily halted at several sites.

Morton County authorities received additional unverified reports later in the evening that protesters intended to caravan to construction sites and potentially set equipment on fire.

According to North Dakota Century Code 11-15-03, the Morton County Sheriff is responsible for maintaining public peace and preventing potential riots. 

Also on October 5, 2016, authorities announced that Mason Redwing, a then nineteen year old protestor who had felony charges filed against him two days previously on October 3, turned himself in to the Morton County Law Enforcement Center, and was seen by a judge before posting bail and being released. 

The protests during this time were against the Dakota Access Pipeline and resulted in 761 arrests, according to MPR News. Charges ranged from trespassing to more severe offenses. A significant number of those arrested were from out of state.

Certain days of the protests resulted in dozens of arrests, such as February 1, 2017, when 76 people were arrested after Morton County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Rob Keller said a “rogue group of protesters” had trespassed on private property.

The State of North Dakota is currently suing the federal government to “recoup $38 million it claims it spent policing the protest camps,” Source NM reported.