It was one of many protests in the past several months by a group who identify themselves as “water protectors” at various sites, including drilling sites and forested lands. Thursday’s protest was in McKinley Township off Highway 64 about 10 miles west of Backus.
In the past several months, there have been occasional protests outside the work yard near Backus on Highway 87. Other protests have occurred in Aitkin County, where 22 protesters were arrested Dec. 14 and another eight were arrested Jan. 9.
Related: Protesters gather at Line 3 construction site in Aitkin County
Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch said four people were arrested in Thursday’s protest, including the two people who chained themselves together in the pipeline. The two people, plus two others who refused to leave the area, were arrested for obstructing the legal process and trespassing.
“We’ve had some protests and, for the most part, it has been peaceful, they’re respectful, they cooperate when asked, or told what to do,” Burch said. “We’ve had activity throughout the pipeline, nothing major. We’ve dealt with a few incidences of trespassing complaints on Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline.”
Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch
The “water protectors” sent out a news release about Thursday’s incident, stating as Enbridge is working 24 hours per day at several worksites, there is a pending injunction to halt work while tribally-led lawsuits are heard and have yet to be decided.
According to several cultural site maps, numerous sacred and significant sites lie in the path of the Line 3 project.
Related: 8 arrested after Aitkin County pipeline protest
“After moving to Minnesota to attend college and study environmental science, I was excited to be in a place where people valued protecting the earth and finding a viable future,” Abby Hornberger, a self-identified “water protector,” stated. “What I found, however, was a state that had formed ‘ambitious’ climate goals yet endorsed one of the dirtiest fossil fuels, tar sands oil. I realized that indigenous ways of knowing and practicing harmony with the environment are continuously ignored. The Line 3 pipeline far outweighs all clean energy initiatives and progress being made in renewable energies. Line 3 will destroy Minnesota’s essential clean water resources for future generations and will ultimately drive us into climate doom. Education and spreading awareness is no longer enough to create meaningful change for me.”
Hornberger continued, “Enbridge’s last ditch effort to build fossil fuel infrastructure is killing people and the planet. I refuse to be complicit in settler colonialist practices, and feel that I have to put my body on the line to protect indigenous communities sovereignty and all of our futures. This is not just an issue relevant to some, it affects each of us on a deeper level that goes beyond our daily lives. It determines if we will have a livable future.”
People gathered Thursday, Jan. 14, to protest Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline replacement project near Backus. Submitted Photo
Andrew Lee, another “water protector” stated, “I’m here today to protect the treaties that my ancestors failed to uphold. I’ve learned over the course of this year that Tim Walz isn’t going to protect us, the government of Minnesota isn’t going to protect us, and the federal government isn’t going to protect us. I believe it is my duty, as a colonizer and as a person with the privilege to do so, to put my body on the line to stop the Enbridge Corporation from building this pipeline. It breaks my heart and enrages me to see how these people are desecrating the earth and the lengths they will go to to leech every last dollar they can from its surface.”
Lee and Hornberger said they were protesting the pipeline not just out of anger and fear, but also for a love for the planet, friends and Native people “who’ve been in this fight for over 500 years, and for all future generations of people who will inhabit this earth after we’re gone.”
Burch said people have the right to protest and for the most part those protesting the pipeline have been respectful. Burch said protesters need to understand the law and follow the rules. When protesters don’t follow the laws, the sheriff’s office is called to respond and this takes officers away from other 911 emergencies.
Related: Line 3 opponents file federal suit to try to block the pipeline
“The unfortunate thing is they’re pulling limited resources that we have in the county away from emergency services,” Burch said. “We’re having to utilize the majority of our staff to deal with these complaints when we should be dealing with emergency services in other parts of the county. … It’s just a matter of time before something bad happens and we’re all in one area and we can’t get to the other calls quick enough.”