The Nevada tribal reservation ranger who rammed his truck into a blockade and pointed a gun at unarmed protesters outside the Burning Man festival on Sunday was “under review” by officials after climate protesters accused him of using excessive force.
The incident occurred on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal reservation, where a handful of activists from the Seven Circles Alliance coalition organized an anti-climate change and anti-capitalist protest, blocking State Route 447, leading up to the nine-day desert festival. of duration. he started.
As traffic backed up on the only route to makeshift Black Rock City, frustrated festivalgoers got out of their vehicles and tried to break through the blockade to let traffic through, footage shows.
Several tribal ranger trucks then arrived, one of them driving through the trailer blockade, even though a protester had chained herself to it.
“I’m going to get you all out, you’d better move,” the ranger warned from his vehicle’s public address system.
A ranger then got out of his vehicle and removed what appeared to be a gun from its holster.
“Get down now! All of you on the ground now! he ordered, as he pointed his gun at the protesters, ignoring the screams of the chained woman who had insisted: “We are not violent!”
A Nevada “tribal reserve ranger” is under review after going through a climate change protest lockdown.FNTV
The ranger also drew a weapon during the standoff.FNTV
As the ranger forced a protester to the ground and handcuffed her tightly, another ranger demanded that the protesters hand over their alleged weapons.
“Please…we have no weapons at all, we are environmental protesters!” —the woman chained on the side of the road pleaded.
Tribal Chairman James L. Phoenix deplored the protesters’ behavior, even as he issued a statement saying, “the conduct of the Ranger involved is under review.”
“It was just unfortunate that they blocked the main road like that,” Phoenix told Indianz.Com.
“It’s not like you’re in the middle of nowhere and there’s no one else there,” he allegedly said.
“We have many kilometers and kilometers of cars. If you learn more about Burning Man, you’ll see how busy he is.”
The statement noted that of the five unidentified activists who were summoned and released, two of them came from New York.
The ranger told the unarmed protesters that he is going to “get them all out.” FNTV
The Seven Circles Alliance coalition rally was blocking State Route 447 in front of the Burning Man festival.FNTV
Protesters brandished signs that said things like “Burners of the World, Unite,” “Abolish Capitalism,” and “General Climate Strike.”
They claimed the annual arts and counterculture festival is not doing enough to counter climate change and said its apolitical stance is “detrimental to the values it affirms.”
Each year, tens of thousands flock to the annual festival, which began as a solstice bonfire but has transformed into a full-scale capitalist technology celebration that can cost up to $2,750 to attend.
Seven Circles Alliance activists issued a statement Tuesday accusing a disgruntled motorist of falsely telling authorities that the group was armed, according to NBC News.
Rangers cleaning up the protest against climate change and capitalism.FNTV
“The excessive response is a snapshot of the institutional violence and police brutality displayed to anyone who is actively working to achieve systemic change within the United States, including the climate movement,” his statement is said to read.
“The right to protest and civil disobedience actions in the United States are a cornerstone of democracy. The excessive use of force and the criminalization of peaceful protesters serve to maintain the status quo for those in power.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn