Climate activists reacted with horror when Nevada tribal police officers drove through a blockade that was causing a massive traffic backup on the road to the Burning Man festival.
Rangers from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Police crashed through the protest blockade and arrested the activists on Sunday near Nixon in Nevada.
Police said they were called to the protest at the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Reservation on State Route 447 at about 1 p.m.
Video shows one police truck drive through the blockade and police jump out to arrest the protesters, who appear stunned at the response.
“We have no weapons at all!” wailed one female protester while holding her hands up. “We’re environmental protesters!”
A video of the altercation went viral on social media and garnered over 3 million views.
“Words fail. Words utterly fail. Today a police truck PLOWED INTO a peaceful climate blockade. These are the people ‘entrusted’ to keep us safe. These are the people we have granted a monopoly on the use of force. How is this ok?” read the commentary from a climate activism group.
The protesters were from the group Seven Circles and had messages reading, “Ban Private Jets,” and “Abolish Capitalism.”
Officials said the conduct of the police is being reviewed. KOLO-TV reported that five activists were cited and released. One was from California, two were from New York, one was from Washington, and one was from the country of Malta.
The Burning Man festival is a bizarre annual event in which thousands of people meet for several days in the middle of the desert and eventually set fire to a massive figure of a man.
Here’s a video of the police making protesters cry:
Climate Activist Begs for Mercy as Nevada Cops Flatten Highway Blockagewww.youtube.com
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