Hundreds gathered near La Salle Lake to oppose Enbridge’s Line 3.
The Treaty People’s Gathering began this past weekend with training, with demonstrations all day Monday.
The gathering, at times, emphasized how non-indigenous allies can use their voices to hold elected officials accountable to the treaties.
Organizers are hopeful that these types of actions will put pressure on President Joe Biden and Governor Tim Walz to pull key permits and cancel the project, which was initially proposed by Enbridge in 2014.
At the Two Inlets pump station Monday afternoon, law enforcement from multiple jurisdictions arrived wearing various forms of additional protective gear.
Protesters were reportedly chained to equipment on Enbridge property.
Initial reports indicate that around 50 were arrested in this demonstration.
An Enbridge spokeswoman said Monday’s actions were “disheartening” and that 44 workers were evacuated from the site.
Juli Kellner with Enbridge says the protests have had little impact on the project’s construction schedule, due to be complete later this year.
Law enforcement departments that respond to these events are reimbursed from the Public Utilities Commission’s public safety escrow account, a condition of Enbridge’s permit.
Enbridge is working on completing a 337-mile replacement and in some places, re-routing, of the existing Line 3 built in the 1960s across northern Minnesota.
The line has already been completed for 13 miles in North Dakota and 14 miles in Wisconsin.
The new line will be wider in diameter, at 36 inches from 34, and will have the capability to transport 760,000 barrels of crude oil each day.
Over the course of the movement since December, 250 protesters have been arrested throughout smaller demonstrations.
