North Dakota water protector Redhawk reported today at Standing Rock that two police officers just turned in their badges to show their support for the water protectors.
“There have been at least 2 reports of police officers turning in their badges acknowledging that this battle is not what they signed up for,” Redhawk writes.
“You can see it in some of them, that they do not support the police actions,” he continues.
“We must keep reminding them they are welcome to put down their weapons and badge and take a stand against this pipeline as well. Some are waking up.”
While most of the police officers at the scene of the DAPL protests have been brutal, violent, and unconstitutionally-militarized, it is clear from this recent act of solidarity that some of their hearts can be turned to the cause of justice.
This recent incident is reminiscent of what happened in Frankfurt, Germany in May of 2012, when police removed their helmets and began marching with the people protesting big banks.
According to the Washington Post, “At least 20,000 people held a major rally of the local Occupy movement inFrankfurt on Saturday to decry austerity measures affecting much of Europe, the dominance of banks, and what they call untamed capitalism.”
Yesterday, Barack Obama announced that the White House is considering “re-routing” the pipeline to honor the 1851 Indian Treaty that guarantees the land in question to the Standing Rock Nation.