Sheriff: 23 pipeline protesters arrested in northwestern Minnesota

BAGLEY, Minn. (KVRR) – Authorities say 23 people were arrested following a pipeline demonstration Tuesday in northwestern Minnesota.

The Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office received a call regarding protesters blocking a road. The initial call reported that they were setting up a tee pee and barrels in the roadway and vehicles could not pass through.  An early estimate of protesters was between 75-100 people.

Several items had been placed in the road, spread out for approximately one mile. The items included a tri-pod, three 55-gallon barrels filled with concrete, an overturned car, a boat and a group of six people in chairs connected with sleeping dragon devices.

After dispersal orders were given, 23 people were arrested after refusing to leave.  Six people were attached to the 55-gallon barrels, four people attached to the tri-pod, seven attached or near the boat and six that were in chairs connected with sleeping dragons.

The sheriff’s office says the process to remove the protesters took about seven hours.  A large mess of debris was left to clean up after the extrications and oil had run onto the ground at the overturned car.

The people arrested were from Massachusetts, Oregon, Maine, Illinois, South Dakota, Washington D.C., Washington, New York and Texas.

They were were being held on probable cause public nuisance and obstructing legal process charges.