Three months in, the Standing Rock protests show no signs of letting up.

The standoff once again turned violent in the days leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, as riot police and private security agents launched yet another attack on the largely nonviolent Water Protectors. Over three hundred people were injured and at least twenty-six hospitalized last Sunday alone, for conditions including hypothermia, seizures, loss of consciousness, and impaired vision. One woman, activist Sophia Wilansky, is in critical condition and undergoing multiple surgeries after being hit by a concussion grenade, including possibly amputating her arm due to the severity of the damage.

The police, in their attempt to stop the protests, have used every tactic at their disposal short of lethal force, including targeted threats and sexual humiliation (at least one woman was detained and forced to strip); use of chemical weapons such as tear gas, mace, and pepper spray; the use of water cannons, made more dangerous by the freezing weather; sound cannons; and so-called "less lethal" ammunition, including rubber bullets and concussion grenades, that nonetheless can cause severe injury. More traditional methods of riot control, such as simply hitting protesters with clubs and sticks, have also been used.

With winter weather rapidly moving in and the police making heavy use of water cannons, tribal officials have begun fearing that the protests might soon see their first deaths due to hypothermia. The situation was particularly bad on a bridge that protesters were attempting to cross when police began using tear gas and water cannons. Due to the number of people and the narrowness of the bridge, many people were forced to either endure the water and gas or risk trampling or being trampled by others. While others attempted to bring blankets to the trapped protesters, the situation remained dire.

There is, however, some hope that things may improve. Across the country, veterans of the United States military have pledged to "self-deploy" to Standing Rock on December 4, in order to protect the protesters from police brutality. The veterans will be bringing gas masks, vests, and other protective gear, however, they have stated that they will not be bringing weapons, and have asked that any other veterans joining them do the same in order to keep the situation as peaceful as possible.

While actions by the Obama administration have temporarily slowed construction, there is fear among the protesters that the administration of Donald Trump, who has personal investments worth between tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars in the company building the pipeline, will allow construction to continue. For this reason, many of the pipeline's opponents, including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, have called on President Obama to make the area into a national monument, thus forcing the pipeline to be rerouted.

With the future uncertain, there's no way to know where things will go from here.