MOUNT RUSHMORE: All charges dropped against land defenders during Trump fireworks [View all]

[douglas9]

RAPID CITY, South Dakota — Today, NDN Collective announced that the charges against Nick Tilsen, NDN Collective President and CEO, and all other Land Defenders arrested on July 3 in the Black Hills will be dropped. This announcement comes after months of political pressure from grassroots groups, including petitions, social media campaigns, and local and national media coverage of the cases.



In the lead-up to former President Donald Trump’s visit to the Black Hills last summer, over 200 Indigenous people and allies, including Tilsen, were met with force from the state police. Though Trump and his group were violating multiple treaties with their presence, including one through the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Land Defenders faced multiple charges. In the end, 21 Land Defenders were arrested and charged with misdemeanors, and Tilsen, charged with a combination of misdemeanors and felonies, ultimately facing up to 17 years in prison.

“This victory and the dropped charges are a direct result of the Movement showing up and standing up for all the Land Defenders who took a stand in the Hesapa (Black Hills) on July 3. Tens of thousands organized, called, donated to our legal and bail fund and signed the petitions to drop these charges, and we acknowledge their invaluable support,” said Nick Tilsen, NDN Collective President and CEO

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2021/03/mount-rushmore-all-charges-dropped.html