Here are all the ways you can all help have your voices heard!

Below is the transcript of that interview. See the full interview here https://youtu.be/aXL3uYeP7aw

Jordan

So just talked to me first what brought you to Standing Rock how you got up there and tell me what happened on the day you were arrested.

Kelli Love

Thanks Jordan I’m happy to be with you today my name is Kelly Love.

Back in Late July early August we met the Oceti Sakowin Youth Runners who were carrying the treaties from North Dakota to Washington DC to bring awareness to what was going on in Standing Rock.

We met with them in Washington DC and prayed outside of the White House and after hearing their stories and their concerns were extremely concerned citizens to protect the water and to protect the rights of all of our people. We came back with them to Union Square New York City and caravanned back with them to sacred stone Camp on the Standing Rock Reservation.

We joined Sacred stone Camp around August 8th and started helping wherever we could inside the camp and on August 11th it was the first day of direct actions and we were among a group of 11 people taking part. People from all nations, two mothers including myself I have a 3 year old son who was with me. Also two of my brothers from my ban, “One Tribe movement”. The three of us were there and our sister Malia Holloman from Hawaii and we participated in constitutionally protected activity First Amendment free-speech we carried the prayer and the chant that the youth runner had into the fields. And we were arrested and taken to jail without due process.

We are experiencing more of that right now we’re witnessing rampant color of law crimes against standing rock protectors ourselves and the Lakota tribe on an enforcement and administrative level. Many civil rights violations, so right now we’re facing charges for that and and already there’s been several perversions of the justice system that we are very concerned about because our trial will set a precedent for the rest of the 500 water protectors behind us.

Jordan

So you guys were just basically praying and why did the police come in if you guys were just praying prayfully so was there an action going on? Explain that.

Kelli Love

At the time the youth Runners had just arrived and how they basically do their actions as they run in the streets chanting and we ran with them and we continue to run into an open area that was not blocked off with tape, there were no signs , there was no police line preventing us from going that direction and we went into the approach that DAPL employees were going in and out of all day. We sat down peacefully and prayerfully and we continue that chant. We had no warning not to be there there’s no police telling us not to be there and I personally have the whole thing recorded which I am not releasing yet.

Part of the problem is that the state’s attorney has filed motions to the judge to not allow us to include our evidence or allow us to speak about why we were there. So eight hours before we showed upto our pretrial last week we arrived to court and we saw that not only disorderly conduct charges but a list of other trumped up charges had been added without our knowing which is already a violation of due process.

Jordan

What other charges?

Kelli Love

Criminal tresspass, Intent to harm, intent to harass, refusing to obey the command to halt which I didn’t even know that that was a violation of anything. but we weren’t told to hault which i have edivdence of and I’m hoping to be able to show that to the court however the judge has already approved all of Lad Ericksons motions and denied every single one of the 11 defendants and their counsel so we are very concerned because.

Jordan

Just so people know that Lad Erickson is the same State’s Attorney who tried to out of thin air tried charge Amy Goodman with inciting riots or conspiracy or something like that.

Kelli Love

Yes he was trying to charge Amy Goodman and Shailene Woodley with the criminal trespass and inciting riots and things that are constitutionally protected activity and we are very concerned because the judge so far is approving those things and violating our right to due process. The submitting of new charges 8 hours before we arrived for a pre-trial is violation of due process because they’re not allowing us the length of time to gather defense against these new trumped-up charges and we already entered our plea to the one charge so to come to a pre trial and have eight to 10 new charges on all of us. All 11 defendants, which this is another odd thing we’re all we’re all being tried as one group in a joinder when all 11 of us were not even arrested for doing the same thing at the same time or at the same exact location during the day.

Jordan

When you say he is trying to stop you from showing video evidence or even explaining why you were there Has the judge allowed that or it’s still up in the air whether you’re going to be able to show video?

Kelli Love

We are waiting on on her approval or denial however she has made statements in the Bismarck Tribune that you can see that seemed to show she’s leaning toward allowing him to do.

Jordan

So what are the grounds why is he claiming that you shouldn’t be allowed to show video or speak about what you were doing there?

Kelli Love

He does not want us to be able to speak about the environmental issues or the treaty rights. Which is crazy because how can you say you’re trespassing if we believe we have a reason to be there and proof according to the treaties according to many documents that the court still upholds that those treaties are still in effect. So we have no right to a defense if we can’t speak about why we were there .

Jordan

Is his claim that you were on private land?

Kelli Love

Yes

Jordan

What about the video what’s his what’s his argument for you not being able to submit video?

Kelli Love

There as far as I know there is no no reason of why we can’t submit evidence other than that he doesn’t want anything regarding the environmental impact or the treaty rights to be brought into the jury and bought into the court so I mean he has no right to take away our right to defence our right of due process and neither does the judge but so far it’s not it’s not looking too good because she’s approved every single one of his motions even the ones that violate our right to due process 8 hours before our pretrial . This is a perversion of the justice system and we all have first amendment constitutional right to assemble to pray to be concerned citizens and stand up for what we know to be right and this has been validated. Thousands of veterans just showed up to apologize and to say that we have good reason to be here. So we need the American people to know that this could happen to them in their community and it could happen to them in the justice system if we don’t stand up.

Jordan

Do have a public defender? do you have a private attourney what about the others explain that.

Kelli Love

A couple of us have private attorneys I have a private attorney who just stepped up but when he realized what was going on and felt the ethical need to help protect us from North Dakota. Malia also has a private attorney and others have public defenders that were just assigned this week I mean four days ago so we have filed motions for continuances and for time for them to have a good rapport with their attorneys and give them all the discovery they need to give us a fair trial.

The judge has denied us.

Jordan

With all the new charges that are coming up what it what kind of time are you facing what’s what would be the ultimate sentencing for these charges?

Kelli Love

Well I am not really sure about that because just for the disorderly conduct charge it was our original charge which is also ludicrous cuz everything we did was orderly there’s an order to how we did it and protected prayerful activity the new charges it’s weird cuz we already entered a plea of not guilty so I don’t quite understand the implications of the new charges but for the first charge we’re looking at 30 days in jail we are looking at the six months of probation and fines. Also the state’s attorney has filed a motion for all of our attorneys to document their hours including the public defenders to make us financially responsible for our attorney if we lose so they’re banking on holding us financially accountable for something that’s also protected in our civil rights to have a public defender if you can’t afford one that was just approved this week as well.

Jordan

Your charges, what’s the process now is there? Is there another court date scheduled for the other people that were scheduled with you?

I think people watch it you’re going to be correctly outrage but how can I help when is the next court hearing? Those kinds of things

Kelli Love

So the actual trial in December 19th at 8 a.m. at Morton County Courthouse we are calling for Action here in Bismarck North Dakota for everyone who’s concerned and who is supportive of our movement to come to the court house and pray with us.

And then we’re supposed to pick a jury and going to trial all in one day with 11 people that were all arrested at different times it just seems ludicrous to me. The way that people can support us is.

Jordan

These are jury trials?

Kelli Love

Yes which is also another concern because we researched some of the potential jurors and a lot of them have anti Standing Rock and water protector memes and different things up you know on their Facebook pages so it’s going to be hard to find around here because people are so misinformed in the area. It’s a high-profile case so we’ve also applied for change of venue which has been denied we do have the right to a fair trial and people out there to support us by sharing these videos we need high level legal support we are ready and willing to file an emergency Federal injunction because of the constitutional rights that are being violated we are ready and willing to take this all the way up to the federal court because we believe in the justice system and at any time our rights as human beings have been violated it’s taken actions like these to uphold these values

So December 19th you can tune in by praying with us, by calling in and letting your voices be heard to the federal government as well as to the Morton County judges so that are involved in this trial and to continue to join in prayer with us and envisioning a positive outcome because we have been peaceful prayerful unarmed water protectors. This is a turning point and how we mobilize and stand together as people around water around solidarity for everything that’s happening on environmental levels and human rights levels levels pretty right now especially for the next four years as many people are on high alert because of the changing climate of the president and it was going on here in our country.

Jordan

Well I also think based on my own experience I did a little undercover video and Bismarck talk like this and interview people at Bismarck. And having Bismarck residents as your jury I’m just keep it real is not a good thing they’re very much you’re very misinformed there’s systemic racism against native Americans and seeing you and other non native water protectors as agitators and all this so I think this is a very important issue. I also thinking and I would like your thoughts but it is interesting if you have the public profile that Amy Goodman has and insane charges are leveled against you a judge will throw it out right away because she is trending on Twitter, there are 100’s of people outside the court house and the spotlight is on. But if you have less of a public platform, less of a profile and the mainstream media has not been covering it then all of a sudden these totally corrupt unlawful things the state attorney is trying to do are rubber stamped by the judge.

Kelli Love

Absolutely correct on both levels out I’ve been in an Bismarck many times with the water protector badge on my shirt and been told to go home and scream at. I really never experienced that level of misinformation cuz you know Bismarck voted to not have the pipeline go through their area and affect their Waters so it seems sympathetic to the neighboring community and they’re not there are some really amazing residents have come up to me on the contrary and said thank you what you’re doing is Noble but it’s very different here. and yes the media Spotlight we need that! This is the fight right here. We had already had thousands of people put their lives and bodies on the line. Myself as a mother I had my son with me I had to bring him home to my mother to take care of him so he would be safe from the cold and the conditions as they became more difficult.

Being separated from my son is very difficult and I’m doing it because he and his entire generation deserve clean water and protected rights . I didn’t realize this until I became a mother and right now we need the media we need tge spotlight we nees it more than ever because if we lose the battle into the courts, which we won’t I believe we shall overcome. Then there’s nothing there’s no legal statues or standings to protect Standing Rock or to protect future communities where this is happening. This is not just happening here it ia happening in Iowa. You know there are white families and land owners that have had their land seized from them using eminent domain when this type of oil is actually bought and paid for by China so the eminent domain thing is pretty crazy. This could happen to you. The American people to know that we need all of our allies in the media to really shine the light come on December 19th to the courthouse have interviews we have an amazing group of water protectors including Chase Iron Eyes wife Dr. Sarah Jumping Eagle who’s a qualified physician and mother of three, I myself am and mother. We have a group of water protectors that represent all nations, white, yellow, red, black and brown . We have a Lakota mother and son, a Lakota medicine man. I mean we all came here for good reason, highly intelligent people not you the media has tried to spin this as if it’s a bunch of the angry indigenous people and it’s ludicrous to me because this is an indigenous led movement and we are remembering our connections to the Earth and each other because of what we’re learning from other people but it’s also a movement that unified All Nations all generations and this first group of 11 water protectors exemplifies that . So we want the world to know that we’re standing together and we’re standing for their rights too we really need help from the media to shine a light on this right now.

Jordan

Last question. You said you mentioned you have video but you’re not showing it is that legal advice because it would seem to me if you have convincing video we know the power of viral videos social media that might be a help to going into the next court hearing.

Kelli Love

Good question that is some legal advice that I’ve had I have the full video of our action and i am receiving legal advice from many people.

The one thing that they they don’t want it with the defense being so ludicrous they don’t want them using the video to incriminate anyone else or a use in evidence against our other water protectors so I am just trying to be very careful and cautious because we are seeing the perversions of the justice system as they occur and we want to make sure that we do everything. That I have that evidence if they don’t allow it to be admissible in court then we have no defense and so that would be a complete perversion of Justice system . Our trials sets the precedent for the next five hundred trials there is over 500 water protectors have been arrested with us and I want to mention to you that actually Red Fawn was arrested with us that day it was her first arrest. She was the first woman to be arrested and I think she’s being singled out because you know they profile as they watch those of us who have been in the movement those of us who have been reaching out to the community and helping this movement grow . just like the police have made whole bunch of trumped up new charges against me that I’m an agitator and I was harrassing people but I don’t know how I could have done that with baby on my back but you know just trying to be careful for everyone and make sure that we’re responsible in light of the threats we are facing.

Lastly if people want to help high-level legal help. Prayer Where can people contact you the collection of people is is there one place that people could contact to help.

Yeah we have a website called www.oneTribeunite.com and we have a contact email in there and I’m also on Facebook my name is Kelli Love.

You know we have the ACLU working on this we have Bruce Ellison Leonard Peltier attorney we have a lot of legal guidance and a lot of legal help. I think right now the main thing is making sure that Amy Goodman & Young Turks and all of the media Outlets that we do have as allies really shine the light on what we’re facing now because this is the new front lines.

Jordan

We will be in touch for the court hearing coming up and we will make sure we cover it. A lot of love coming from me to you.

Kelli Love

Thank you so much to you and everyone who is watching and everyone who is standing with Standing Rock.

Please call the number listed above to let North Dakota know how you feel about this case and all the others that will follow