HJL,
We went to Bismarck this weekend and had chance to get a bit more information. In talking to one of the “protesters”, he is paid $1500 per week with legal and medical costs covered. In addition, he receives a bonus each time he is arrested. Their encampment receives supplies and propane for free with multiple deliveries each week. He looks on it as a job, and this is not his first protest.
In other news, we are expecting a killer cold front this week and the state of North Dakota has plans in place to shelter and feed the “protesters” at state expense. Law enforcement has bent over backwards to treat them with respect while being spit on, shot at, bombarded with nuts/bolts from slingshots and had molotov cocktails thrown at them. Vehicles and machinery have been set on fire or destroyed, livestock killed, grass fires set, and IEDs planted, but we aren’t going to let them freeze to death. They have cost the ND taxpayers millions, but we are expected to pony up more.
It should also be noted that when the blizzard hit last week (18″ of snow), the Standing Rock Tribe’s casino refused to rent rooms to “protesters”, closed all public rest rooms in the casino, and disabled all electrical outlets in public areas. Evidently they didn’t want this rabble, even though they are “supporting” the tribe. – R.B.