Tribal members add extortion claim to highway shutdown suit

摘要

Standing Rock Sioux tribal members and others who are suing over a five-month shutdown of a North Dakotahighway during protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline have broadened their claims to includeallegations of extortion and media manipulation by state and county officials.Plaintiffs allege the closure of a stretch of state Highway 1806 was aimed not only at protesters who hadgathered in the thousands in camps near the two-lane road but also at influencing the tribe's position on thecamps and reporters' coverage of the prolonged clash. It played out over six months in 2016 and 2017 andresulted in 761 arrests.