In a much similar style as the Bundy Ranch protest, huge groups of protesters, led by Native American tribes, have been blocking the construction of a new oil pipeline in North Dakota. Unlike the Bundy Ranch protest, however, it has received little to no media attention.
The Dakota Access pipeline would carry tons of crude oil from North Dakota's Bakken oil fields to Illinois. It has created a tense situation however, as the pipeline threatens water supplies and sacred lands, according to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and others.
The Standing Rock Sioux have been joined by tribes from across the country and there has been an outpouring of support from around the world. There have even been recent reports of Amnesty International and the United Nations sending observers to the site.
This has been an ongoing situation since April but it has become much more tense in the past few weeks with many more supporters joining the protest. While the protest is mostly peaceful, some incidents have got out of hand and the fear is that the situation could get worse.
As mentioned, many people have made a comparison between this protest and the Bundy Ranch protest. In one instance, the media has given the protest no attention while in the other the media attention was constant. Additionally, law enforcement took a much more detached approach to the Bundy Ranch protest, whereas they have not hesitated to arrest many people at the Dakota Access pipeline protest.
Once again we see the blatant bias of the mainstream media. Covering up a story that touches on environmental issues as well as tribal rights while just previously having blasted a similar story with no real value to society.
Far from the story the media portrayed, an issue of federal government overreach and "patriots" defending freedom, the Bundy Ranch fiasco was at its core a dispute between a government agency and Cliven Bundy, a rancher who hadn't paid his grazing fees on federally owned land in southeastern Nevada. It escalated to an armed confrontation when for no good reason, a lot of people with guns showed up.
The Dakota Access pipeline story on the other hand, is of great value to society right now and should be headline news, but instead is being blacked out. More people need to get the word out about this story, spread it and show their support for these brave protesters.