Saturday, September 17, 2016

Federal Court Dissolves TRO Against Native American Pipeline Demonstrators

According to a National Lawyers Guild press release, yesterday a North Dakota federal district court dissolved an ex parte temporary restraining order it had issued a month earlier against the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman and others who had participated in demonstrations against construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.  Demonstrators claim that the pipeline corridor runs through and near many Lakota/ Dakota tribe sacred burial and historical sites. Last week a D.C. federal district court refused to enjoin construction of the pipeline, but federal agencies are considering whether or not to grant permits for the project. (See prior posting.) The effect of yesterday's the order is to leave dealing with demonstrations to local officials.