BISMARCK, N.D. — Protesters of the Dakota Access oil pipeline have erected a new encampment on private property recently acquired by the developer along the pipeline route in North Dakota.
The protesters said in a statement Sunday night that the land is theirs, according to an 1851 treaty. The camp of tents and teepees is in an area where the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe says it has found several sites of “significant cultural and historic value” and where protesters and private security clashed in September. It’s near a larger camp that’s been in place for months.
Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier says in a statement that the more than 100 protesters are trespassing. It’s unclear whether authorities will remove them. Kirchmeier’s office didn’t return calls seeking further comment.
Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners bought the land last month for an undisclosed price.
