Journalist: I was assaulted by ‘peaceful’ pipeline protesters

By Phelim McAleer

November 3, 2016 | 8:45pm
Well, I went to North Dakota to meet these water protectors and hear their prayers and see the sage being smudged. What could go wrong?

At first it was fun. I’m from Northern Ireland, so I was welcomed by the Native American leaders, many of whom had been to Belfast.

Day Two wasn’t so peaceful. As a journalist, I decided it was time for some tough questions. Most of the protesters were from out of state. So how did they square the circle of using vehicles driven by oil to protest an oil pipeline? Their tents were also made of plastic — an oil-based product. Was that not hypocritical, I asked? Some denied this, others complained capitalism made them do it, and others just walked away.

But by the fourth interview the mood turned.

A young man claiming to be “security” came up and grabbed my microphone. I wouldn’t let go. He dragged me across the field — just for asking questions.

But worse was to follow, as my crew and I fled to our car.

When we tried to drive off, we were surrounded by cars and people. Two trucks blocked our way forward, and another pulled up tight behind. We couldn’t move. These weren’t grandmothers burning sage. They were angry, young masked men banging on the windows — threatening to slash our tires, demanding we exit the vehicle. Some warned that if we didn’t get out and hand over our footage then “we can’t control what’s gonna happen next.”

As we tried to call the police, they warned that the cops wouldn’t come onto the campsite — they hadn’t yet after two months of protests. I’m an Irish nationalist who grew up under British rule in Ireland, but according to those attacking my car I was “part of the problem with my settler mentality.”

Then they started shaking the car. That was when it became really scary. We were in the middle of North Dakota with very poor cellphone service and trying to call 911 was proving difficult.…

Dem Sen. Coons Claims Americans Prefer a Carbon Tax to the Keystone Pipeline

Weekend Media Review: Sen. Hoeven’s Funny Reaction to Sen. Coons’s Wacky Claim That Americans Prefer a Carbon Tax to the Keystone Pipeline

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/globalwarmingorg/~3/Ylwaji_dsbY/

For the first time in recent memory, climate change was broached on one of the four network Sunday political talk shows. It happened on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, during a debate on the merits of the Keystone XL pipeline between Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE). In explaining the bipartisan appeal of a Senate bill that would approve the pipeline, Sen. Hoeven noted recent polling indicating that more than 70 percent of American voters support its approval. To which Sen. Coons gave an incredible response, claiming that what the American people REALLY want isn’t the Keystone Pipeline, but rather a carbon tax and/or EPA climate regulations. Here’s what Sen. Coons said in full: But frankly Senator Hoeven keeps talking about what 70 percent of Americans want. 70 percent of Americans in a recent national poll also said they want a carbon tax or they want the EPA to be able to regulate carbon dioxide. Does anyone actually believe that 70 percent of Americans are clamoring for a carbon tax or EPA climate regulations? Anyone? Of course, I don’t doubt the existence of such a poll, which assuredly was commissioned by a green special interest. Instead, I sincerely doubt the poll’s accuracy. After all, the Senate has demonstrated time and time again that opposition to climate change mitigation policy is healthily bipartisan. Why would that be the case, if 70 percent of Americans support such a policy? If indeed there are as many American in support of a carbon tax as there are who support the Keystone XL pipeline, then wouldn’t the Senate have issued up a number of pro-carbon tax bills during the last Congress, when Democrats were in charge? I can only find one example of a vote on a carbon tax in the last Congress, and it was prompted by a Republican. It occurred in March, 2013, during a rare vote when then-Senate Majority Leader allowed amendments. Sen. Roy Blount (R-MO) offered such an amendment, to get Senators on the record in opposition to a carbon tax. The amendment received support from a bipartisan majority, including 8 Senate Democrats. On the other hand, during the 113th Congress, the Senate did take repeated votes on bills regarding the Keystone pipeline. Each …