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US veterans vow to block Dakota Access pipeline construction

'That pipeline will not get completed. Not on our watch'

Samuel Osborne
Thursday 02 February 2017 16:20 GMT
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Native American protesters vowed they would not back down after Mr Trump signed his executive order
Native American protesters vowed they would not back down after Mr Trump signed his executive order (Reuters)

A group of US military veterans have vowed to block construction of the controversial Dakota Access pipeline.

On the fourth day of his presidency, Donald Trump signed an executive order to expedite the construction of the pipeline.

"We are committed to the people of Standing Rock, we are committed to nonviolence, and we will do everything within our power to ensure that the environment and human life are respected," Anthony Diggs, a spokesman for Veterans Stand, told CNBC.

"That pipeline will not get completed. Not on our watch."

Standing Rock protests continue: 'Water is life'

The group has raised $37,000 (£30,000) which will go towards "basic transport of supplies and personnel".

Native American protesters vowed they would not back down after Mr Trump signed his executive order.

Lawyers for the tribe said Mr Trump’s action was done “hastily and irresponsibly”, and they will pursue legal action.

Mr Trump’s orders overturn decisions made by Barack Obama to halt the construction of the pipeline.

Last year, the US Army Corps of Engineers denied the permit to build the $3.8bn Dakota Access Pipeline amid months of protest outside the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota.

However, the secretary o the Army has instructed the US Army Corps of Engineers to grant the permit needed to complete the final stretch of the pipeline.

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