Six anti-Line 3 protesters were arrested Tuesday after reportedly placing spikes in roadways and trespassing on infrastructure.
Early morning in Aitkin County, access roads were blocked by spikes that had “the sole purpose to damage tires and property of anyone traveling on the roadway,” according to Northern Lights Task Force, a group of law enforcement agencies in northern Minnesota.
Private property in the county was also blocked, apparently with the intent “to inconvenience the residents of Aitkin County,” Northern Lights Task Force said.
Additionally, three protesters on site used devices known as “sleeping dragons” to lock themselves down, meaning they handcuffed or locked their arms together inside a PVC pipe.
These protesters “went a step further,” Northern Lights Task Force said: “They had filled the sleeping dragons with feces. Truly an unhealthy and unsanitary act meant to harass those tasked with extrication.”
The task force reported that the actions of these individuals do not fall under the First Amendment, but rather are criminal behavior. Six were arrested on various charges of obstructing with the legal process with force, trespassing on critical infrastructure, trespassing, and fifth-degree narcotics possession.
Only one of the six is a Minnesota resident. Two reside in California, one in Wisconsin, one in Iowa, and one in Massachusetts.
A statement on stopline3.org calls these protesters “water protectors” and praises them for “standing in solidarity … by locking themselves to equipment and building several blockades on access roads.”
Honor the Earth, an organization with one of the biggest influences on the Line 3 protests, asked people to send “love” to the six protesters who were arrested.
A group of celebrities and Democrat donors recently signed a letter urging President Joe Biden to put a stop to the construction of the Enbridge Line 3 oil pipeline replacement project, saying it is “virtually identical” to the Keystone XL pipeline that he canceled earlier this year.
Rose Williams
Rose Williams is an assistant editor for Alpha News.
