Courtesy of Flickr user Fibonacci Blue
In support of activists protesting the Dakota Access oil pipeline, over 1.4 million people have checked in at Standing Rock, a Sioux reservation in North Dakota, according to the BBC.
The Sioux said that the pipeline will impinge on sacred lands and potentially pollute their water supply. They have been joined by environmental activists worried about fossil fuels and emissions, the BBC reported.
The check-ins are meant to confuse the local police department about the numbers and identities of protesters after rumors that the police were using Facebook to make a list of protesters. People participating in the protest will check-in at Standing Rock in a public post, then make a separate explanatory post to inform friends how to get involved.
"The Morton County Sheriff's Department has been using Facebook check-ins to find out who is at Standing Rock in order to target them in attempts to disrupt the prayer camps," the posts read. "SO Water Protecters are calling on EVERYONE to check-in at Randing Stock, ND to overwhelm and confuse them. This is concrete action that can protect people putting their bodies and well-beings on the line that we can do without leaving our homes." The first initials of Standing Rock are intentionally flipped in this post so that it is not easily searched.
The Morton County Sheriff’s Department denied such activity in a Facebook post.
Last week, officers used pepper spray on protesters, arresting 142 people for rioting and trespassing, the BBC reported.
Fossil Free Penn will be joining an Emergency Rally in Solidarity with Standing Rock tomorrow at City Hall, according to their Facebook event.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate