The US Army Corps of Engineers said Sunday it has "no plans for forcible removal" of protesters who have been camping in North Dakota to protest the pipeline. The Corps had notified tribal leaders Friday that all federal lands north of the Cannonball River would be closed to public access December 5 out of "safety concerns." The move sparked fears of a violent confrontation with law enforcement officials as they attempted to evict thousands of activists from the Oceti Sakowin camp erected in April.

Protesters and local law enforcement have regularly clashed over efforts by activists to disrupt final construction of the 1,172-mile (1,885-kilometer) pipeline that would move crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois.

But in a statement the Army Corps' district commander in Omaha, Nebraska clarified that federal agencies aren't planning to forcibly evict protesters. "I am very concerned for the safety and well-being of all citizens at these encampments on Corps-managed federal land, and we want to make sure people are in a safe place for the winter,” Colonel John Henderson said. "We fully support the rights of all Americans to exercise free speech and peacefully assemble, and we ask that they do it in a way that does not also endanger themselves or others, or infringe on others' rights.”

The Standing Rock Sioux have challenged the project in federal court, saying the pipeline's more than 200 water crossings, including one less than a mile upstream of the reservation, would imperil drinking water for more than 8,000 tribal members and millions downstream. Activist organizers told a news conference on Saturday at the main protest site where about 5,000 people are camped that they had no intention of moving. There are smaller camps on land not subject to the planned restrictions, including an area south of the Cannonball River where the Corps said it was establishing a so-called "free-speech zone" by authorities.

Tribal activists from across the country and their sympathizers argue the $3.8 billion (3.57 billion euros) Dakota Access Pipeline, owned by Energy Transfer Partners LP, poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites.

The Obama administration postponed final approval of a permit required to allow tunneling beneath the Missouri River in September. That emboldened resistance to the project with frequent clashes between demonstrators and heavily armed local police prompting complaints of excessive force.

Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault told the Associated Press he and the Morton County Sheriff - who enjoys the backing of the state's Republican governor and attorney general - have met several times, though each meeting has been tense and unproductive. "I don't think aggressive force is necessary and he thinks it's necessary," Archambault said.

But don't look for apologies from the North Dakota sheriff. "We are just not going to allow people to become unlawful," Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier told AP. "It's just not going to happen."

Police use a water cannon on protesters in freezing weather during a protest against plans to pass the Dakota Access pipeline near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, US. November 20, 2016.

Energy Transfer Partners won't give ground

More than 525 people from across the country have been arrested. In the most recent clash between police and protesters, which was near the path of the pipeline and spanned Sunday night into Monday morning, officers used tear gas, rubber bullets and large water hoses in freezing weather. Organizers said at least 17 protesters were taken to the hospital, some for hypothermia and one for a serious arm injury, and one officer was injured.

Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren has said that the pipeline won't be rerouted and the company has no alternative other than to stick to its plan. President-elect Donald Trump holds stock in the company and pipeline opponents worry those investments will sway his presidential administration.

Native American tribe clashes with police in Dakota oil pipeline protests The pipeline advances A vehicle passes by pipes intended for use in the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The conduit is meant to bring up to 570,000 barrels of crude oil daily from fracking fields in North Dakota to Illinois, passing through territory that historically has belonged to Native Americans.

Native American tribe clashes with police in Dakota oil pipeline protests Anger from the local Sioux The Standing Rock Sioux tribe has opposed the project since its proposal in 2014. Though the pipeline will not cross into Sioux territory, tribal leaders argue it will disturb historical burial grounds and could endanger the tribe's source of water, the Missouri River, under which the pipeline is supposed to pass. The company building the pipeline claims it has taken precautions against this.

Native American tribe clashes with police in Dakota oil pipeline protests Defiance A man faces police across the Cantapeta Creek outside the Standing Rock Reservation near the town of Cannon Ball, North Dakota, where construction of the pipeline is underway.

Native American tribe clashes with police in Dakota oil pipeline protests Pipeline protests Opponents of a new oil pipeline near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation gathered outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota, on November 2, 2016

Native American tribe clashes with police in Dakota oil pipeline protests Confrontation at Cantapeta Creek A police officer uses pepper spray against protesters standing in Cantapeta Creek near the pipeline construction site. The resistance of the local tribe has gained international attention in recent weeks and the number of protesters has swelled. Even celebrities Mark Ruffalo and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson have joined in.

Native American tribe clashes with police in Dakota oil pipeline protests Relief for the eyes A protester is treated with pepper spray antidote after a confrontation with the police. Tribal leaders allege that police have engaged in excessive force against protesters, leading the UN to investigate possible human rights abuses.

Native American tribe clashes with police in Dakota oil pipeline protests Consolation After clashing with the police in Cantapeta Creek a young woman is consoled by a fellow protester.

Native American tribe clashes with police in Dakota oil pipeline protests Too late to make a change? An elderly protester raises her arm during demonstrations against the pipeline. On November 1, US President Barack Obama said that the federal government is considering re-routing the pipeline in response to opposition. Author: Amien Essif



jar/kl (AP, Reuters)