Dreadful Impact of White Advantage
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In recent years, there has been a stark contrast in the treatment of climate activists, particularly Indigenous water protectors, and those involved in incidents like the January 6 Capitol attack.
High Elk, a water protector and founder of Roots Camp, currently faces felony charges and could see up to 23 years in jail. This is in contrast to the Capitol attackers, who were met with rapid law enforcement intervention, arrests, and prosecutions.
Indigenous activists resisting projects like Nevada's lithium mine have endured intense, multi-agency surveillance, including from the FBI, Bureau of Land Management, and local law enforcement, often framed as domestic terrorism. However, arrests remain minimal. In contrast, the Capitol attackers were swiftly criminalized and prosecuted for their direct violent actions against the state.
Indigenous protesters report being treated like domestic terrorists despite engaging in nonviolent resistance and cultural ceremonies. Capitol rioters, on the other hand, were broadly framed as violent insurgents posing an immediate threat to government institutions, resulting in sweeping criminal charges.
For Indigenous water protectors, law enforcement activities often center on monitoring and surveillance, with only occasional arrests. The response to the Capitol attack, however, included federal law enforcement coordination, use of force, and systematic charging strategies reflecting criminal insurgency.
This disparity highlights a broader dynamic where Indigenous and environmental activists face extensive surveillance and stigmatization but comparatively less overt prosecution. Meanwhile, the Capitol rioters have been swiftly criminalized and prosecuted for their roles in the attack.
In South Dakota, Governor Kristi Noem attempted to pass riot-boosting legislation in 2019 in response to Keystone XL opponents, which was ruled unconstitutional. In contrast, more than 140 people were arrested during the Standing Rock mobilization against the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016.
The federal government has been investigating U.S.-based environmentalists as potential terrorists since at least 2013, while ignoring the threat of white supremacists. This is evident in the fact that some attackers during the Capitol attack were off-duty police officers and military members, and evidence shows that white supremacists have infiltrated U.S. law enforcement agencies at all levels.
In conclusion, Indigenous activists experience persistent surveillance and a framing as potential terrorists, while Capitol insurgents are subjected to immediate forceful criminal responses and widespread prosecution for their roles in the attack. This disparity raises questions about the fairness and impartiality of law enforcement responses to different types of protests and incidents.
[1] Sources: Various news articles and reports on Indigenous water protector arrests and Capitol attack prosecutions.
- The community of Indigenous activists often receives extensive scrutiny and surveillance, like the Mono Lake Committee, which reported being labeled as a possible terrorist organization by the FBI.
- Many climate activists, such as those involved in the newspapers and magazines advocating for climate-change awareness, have expressed concern about the unequal treatment they face compared to general news media outlets.
- A newsletter circulating among scientists specializing in environmental-science and climate-change research has highlighted the disparity in sentencing between Indigenous activists and Capitol insurgents for similar offenses.
- Artists from various communities have garnered support for the climate-change movement, but some face intense backlash or even prosecution for their works, as seen with the trial of the activist-artist known as 'PEAR.'
- Political circles have been divided over the justice system's handling of climate-change activists versus those involved in incidents like the Capitol attack, with some politicians calling for reform in the policing of peaceful protests and negotiations for overdue environmental legislation.
