Protesters are preparing to give one last strong push against an oil pipeline in North Dakota after police arrested demonstrators trespassing on private land.
The Standing Rock Sioux, as well as other tribes in the Northwest, vowed Sunday to protest the pipeline through the winter. They are also considering suing the police for mistreating and arresting protesters.
But they’re mostly just trying to delay the inevitable at this point.
“I’m tired, an exhaustion I can’t sleep away,” Prairie McLaughlin told reporters Sunday. “I feel like failure is not an option.”
Others mirror McLaughlin’s position.
“It tears my heart apart,” another demonstrator said. “They can’t go through the river. We are not going to let them.”
“This is the last stand. We demand that the world stand with us,” Phyllis Young, an activist with Standing Rock, told reporters. Activists deserve to have their case heard in court, she added.
The Standing Rock Sioux believe construction on the nearly $4 billion pipeline would trample on tribal lands and destroy artifacts. They also argue it could potentially poison waterways, including rivers such as the Missouri River and Lake Oahe.
Hundreds of protesters have been arrested since August, when a tidal wave of protesters descended upon construction sites.
“They’re right there. They have breached our sacred ground. There is no time for waiting any more,” another protester not affiliated with Standing Rock told reporters. “It is almost complete. All they need to do is go under that river.”
Follow Chris on Facebook and Twitter
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.