Standing Rock Protesters Won't Be Blockaded As ND Backs Down

North Dakota law enforcement has backed away from its original plans to block supplies from reaching protesters at the Standing Rock Sioux reservation.

Previous reports had stated that police were going to block food, building materials and other supplies from entering the main camp, following Governor Jack Dalrymple's "emergency evacuation" order this past Monday.

Now however, a spokesman for the governor told Reuters on Tuesday afternoon that no such action was planned. "There is not going to be any blockade of supplies," spokesman Jeff Zent said.

Following Zent's statement Maxine Herr, a spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriff's Department, said that law enforcement would be taking a more "passive role" than enforcing a blockade.

Officers would instead stop vehicles they believed to be heading to the camp, and inform drivers that they were committing an infraction and could be fined $1,000.

"That is the understanding that we had initially but we had to get that clarified. The governor is more interested in public safety than setting up a road block and turning people away," Herr said.

North Dakota is escalating its pressure on the situation, with the "emergency evacuation" that Dalrymple declared having a deadline on December 5.

This past Friday the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warned that activists that refused to leave could face arrest. Since the statement's release however, officials have backtracked, saying they have no plans to forcibly remove those who stay.

We recently wrote about five things you should be aware of in regards to the Dakota Access Pipeline, including ways that you could help protesters.

You can go here to send supplies and go here to donate to the cause, as well as contribute funds to the Sacred Stone Camp Legal Defense Fund by clicking here, or through their GoFundMe here. You can also call the executives of the companies that are building the pipeline.