A
team of human right's observers has been sent by Amnesty International USA
(AIUSA) to monitor actions of the law enforcers who have clashes with those
protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The
decision comes after reports of
militarized police using pepper spray, bean bags, and strip searches,
and reports of guard dogs biting multiple protesters. The water protectors have
been met with severe violence over the past days and weeks, and media reporters
have even been embroiled in the violence and arrests.
Eric
Ferrero, director of communications for AIUSA said “Our observers are here to
ensure that everyone’s human rights are protected. We’re deeply concerned about
what we heard during our previous visit to Standing Rock and what has been
reported to us since."
“People
here just want to stand up for the rights of Indigenous people and protect
their natural resources. These people should not be treated like the enemy.
Police must keep the peace using minimal force appropriate to the situation.
Confronting men, women, and children while outfitted in gear more suited for
the battlefield is a disproportionate response.”
The
violence is ongoing, and there have been reports as recently as yesterday that
sonic weapons capable of inflicting lasting ear damage were deployed into the
crowds.
Letters
were first sent from the AIUSA to the North Dakota Highway Patrol and the
Morton County Sheriff’s office urging law enforcement officers to respect
international human rights standards on the policing of protests.
AIUSA
hase kept a close eye on the ongoing protest and is thought to be calling upon
the Department of Justice to investigate the methods that the police have been
using.
Amnesty
International were also involved with the incidents at Ferguson, MO and
Baltimore, MD, after the communities were engaged in trouble in response to
police shootings.
H/T
: usuncut.com