From Amnesty International USA (http://www.amnestyusa.org):
At the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, police have used excessive force against peaceful human rights defenders, confronting men, women and children with military gear and military-grade weapons.
Peaceful protest is a human right. Stand up for those rights – send a message to Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier at http://act.amnestyusa.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1839&ea.campaign.id=58860 demanding law enforcement officers respect international human rights when policing the pipeline protests.
We need to stand up for human rights now more than ever. President-Elect Trump has promised to fast track pipeline construction in his first 100 days, and we are very concerned about the right to peaceful protest under his administration based on what he has said during the election campaign.
Under international human rights standards, police should seek to de-escalate tensions and facilitate–not hinder–the right to peaceful protest.
Police have instead treated the situation as a battlefield, with military grade armored vehicles, machine guns, surveillance and riot gear.
The people gathered near Standing Rock want to defend the rights of Indigenous people and protect the rights to water and a clean environment. They should not be treated like the enemy.
Amnesty International has a history of monitoring protests and police conduct, and now more than ever, we will work to ensure that communities in Standing Rock and across the globe can exercise their human right to peaceful protest safely.
Thank you for standing strong for human rights for all.
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