Hollywood and environmental activists want you to believe the current protesters against the Dakota Access Pipeline, which would bring oil from North Dakota to a pipeline in Illinois, are really, truly peaceful.
They’re not.
The core protesters are Native Americans — although it has also attracted the usual Hollywood celebs and mainstream environmentalists.
The protest centers on a massive campsite close to the pipeline construction, and organizers insist they come — and stay — in peace. It’s an example of how to “live with Grace” as “peaceful and prayerful Water Protectors” in the face of Rubber Bullets, actor Mark Ruffalo explained.
Shailene Woodley, star of “The Fault in Our Stars” and the “Divergent” series, said the protests are “rooted in ceremony and prayer” and that the only violence was from the police, who were attacking “native grandmothers and children who were smudging sage and singing songs.”
Well, I went to North Dakota to meet these water protectors and hear their prayers and see the sage being smudged. What could go wrong?
At first it was fun. I’m from Northern Ireland, so I was welcomed by the Native American leaders, many of whom had been to Belfast.
Day Two wasn’t so peaceful. As a journalist, I decided it was time for some tough questions. Most of the protesters were from out of state. So how did they square the circle of using vehicles driven by oil to protest an oil pipeline? Their tents were also made of plastic — an oil-based product. Was that not hypocritical, I asked? Some denied this, others complained capitalism made them do it, and others just walked away.
But by the fourth interview the mood turned.
A young man claiming to be “security” came up and grabbed my microphone. I wouldn’t let go. He dragged me across the field — just for asking questions.
But worse was to follow, as my crew and I fled to our car.
When we tried to drive off, we were surrounded by cars and people. Two trucks blocked our way forward, and another pulled up tight behind. We couldn’t move. These weren’t grandmothers burning sage. They were angry, young masked men banging on the windows — threatening to slash our tires, demanding we exit the vehicle. Some warned that if we didn’t get out and hand over our footage then “we can’t control what’s gonna happen next.”
As we tried to call the police, they warned that the cops wouldn’t come onto the campsite — they hadn’t yet after two months of protests. I’m an Irish nationalist who grew up under British rule in Ireland, but according to those attacking my car I was “part of the problem with my settler mentality.”
Then they started shaking the car. That was when it became really scary. We were in the middle of North Dakota with very poor cellphone service and trying to call 911 was proving difficult.
Eventually, the police arrived. Speaking afterwards at a press conference the police lieutenant explained there were just a dozen police against up to 40 attackers. A SWAT team had been alerted, but they were still on their way.
Finally, after six requests on a police loudspeaker and warnings they would be charged with kidnapping, the protesters removed the vehicles blocking our path, opened the gates and allowed us to leave.
Don’t listen to reports that this is some kind of touchy-feely sage-sniffing lovefest. These were thugs who hated journalists asking tough questions. They love journalists and celebrities who portray them as peaceful and ask easy questions that address none of their lies or contradictions.
Such fellow travelers never ask why the protesters are claiming the pipeline is desecrating a sacred site when it’s actually just following an existing pipeline. The journalists have never asked for evidence that these sacred sites even exist.
And the incidents are getting uglier and uglier. A few days after our incident, a protester pulled a gun on police trying to arrest her at a confrontation. She fired three shots and has now been charged with attempted murder.
But, hey — maybe they were trying to steal her sage.
Phelim McAleer is a journalist and filmmaker.