In a letter to Douglas J. Burgum, governor of North Dakota, and acting Attorney General Dana Boente, PHR voices concerns over reports of excessive use of force by law enforcement toward protestors in the context of the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. International standards and U.S. law set clear guidelines for crowd-control tactics, and reports of the indiscriminate use of “less than lethal” weaponry at the construction site are troubling. We have also noted the continued blockage of Backwater Bridge on N.D. Highway 1806, which could affect water protectors’ access to emergency and lifesaving care. We stand by the basic rights of all communities to peaceful protest and assembly and urge immediate, full, and impartial investigations into all allegations of abuse.
PHR Warns Against Excessive Use of Force at Standing Rock
