The front doors of the North Dakota’s capitol building were locked today after scores of demonstrators descended on the building to protest against a pipeline project, a local media report said.
Energy Transfer Partners LP’s Dakota Access pipeline has faced opposition from Native Americans who say it would destroy sacred land.
The $3.8billion, 1,172-mile pipeline would carry crude from the Bakken formation in north-west North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois.
About 60 protesters came to the capitol building in Bismarck to pray on the lawn today, prompting the North Dakota Highway Patrol to lock the doors to people without access cards, the Bismarck Tribune reported.
Patrol member Tom Iverson was cited as saying: “Based off of past experience, that seems to be their intent, is to unlawfully gather and interrupt government functions.”