The Nevada tribal reservation ranger who crashed his truck through a barricade and pulled a gun on unarmed protesters outside the Burning Man festival Sunday is “under review” by officials after climate protesters accused him of excessive force.
The incident occurred on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe reservation, where a handful of activists from the Seven Circles Alliance staged an anti-climate change and anti-capitalist protest, blocking State Route 447, leading to a nine-day desert festival. was carried out.
As traffic backed up on the temporary single-lane road to Black Rock City, frustrated festival-goers got out of their vehicles and tried to move the barricade so traffic could pass, the footage showed.
Several tribal ranger trucks then arrived, one of which crashed into a trailer barricade, although a protester had chained himself to it.
“I’m going to get you all out — you better move,” the ranger warned over his vehicle’s public address system.
A ranger then exited his vehicle and removed what appeared to be a handgun from its holster.
“Get down now! You are all on the field now!” he ordered, pointing his weapon at the protestors, ignoring the screams of the women in chains insisting, “We are not violent!”
Nevada’s “tribal reservation ranger” is under review after driving through a climate change protest blockade.FNTV
Rangers also drew weapons during the confrontation.FNTV
As a ranger forced a female protester to the ground and forcibly handcuffed her, another ranger demanded that the protestor hand over their weapons.
“Please… we have no weapons at all, we are environmental protesters!” the woman wearing the necklace pleads on the side of the highway.
Tribal Chairman James L. Phoenix lamented the behavior of the protesters, even as he issued a statement saying, “the conduct of the Rangers involved is being investigated.”
“Unfortunately they will block major highways like that,” Phoenix told Indianz.Com.
“It’s not like, you know, you just go out in the middle of nowhere and there’s no one else to be there,” he reportedly said.
“We have many miles and miles of cars. If you learn more about Burning Man, you’ll see how busy it is.”
The post noted that of the five unidentified activists who were cited and released, two of them were from New York.
The ranger told the unarmed protesters that he was going to “take you all out.”FNTV
A coalition demonstration of the Seven Circle Alliance has blocked State Route 447 outside the Burning Man festival.FNTV
Protesters waved signs that read things like “Burn the World, Unite,” “Abolish Capitalism” and “General Strike for Climate.”
They claim that the annual arts and counterculture festival does not do enough to fight climate change, and say its apolitical stance “undermines its professed values.”
Each year tens of thousands attend the annual festival, which began as a solstice bonfire but has morphed into a large-scale celebration of capitalist technology that can cost up to $2,750 to attend.
Seven Circles Alliance activists released a statement Tuesday accusing a disgruntled motorist of falsely telling law enforcement that the group was armed, according to NBC News.
Rangers clean up anti-climate change and capitalism protests.FNTV
“The overreaction is a reflection of the institutional violence and police brutality shown to anyone who actively seeks to bring about systemic change in the United States, including the climate movement,” their statement reportedly read.
“The right to protest and civil disobedience in the United States is a cornerstone of democracy. The excessive use of force and the criminalization of peaceful protesters serves to maintain the status quo for those in power.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
