All the protectors who were in the water, that was 50 F degrees -- many of them had to be taken into medical, they were hypothermic. For people who aren’t familiar with water, 50 degree water and below is killing water if you’re in it for any length of time, you lose body heat very quickly.
After the cops destroyed the bridge which had been built, a lot of protectors stayed out in the water, pulling, pushing, and placing wood in the way of the cop boats, and keeping the wood in place. Those people were almost completely submerged in the water, and stayed out for a long time, until they couldn’t manage anymore. A lot of them could barely make it to shore, and had to be pulled in by people, their muscles had completely cramped and seized up from the cold. They did a heroes day’s work, unlike the cops.
I saw on the #NoDAPL feed that someone started a go fund me for the cops, the “heroes of Morton county”. Heroes my ass.
Ice Swimmersays
You are one voice writing history in with all of these photos.
Ice Swimmersays
Caine @ 3
Indeed they did. I concur that being in 50 °F/10 °C water for a long time is no joke, especially in flowing water. Above that temperature, lake or sea water gets quite quickly easier to be in if you’re used to it. AFAIK, 50 °F/10 °C is the temperature at which the risk of cramps and stiffening of muscles rises quickly, also entering the water feels extremely cold and makes you gasp for air involuntarily if you aren’t used to it.
With reference to my handle, the water protectors did things on a different scale from what I do for recreation. I’m used to cold water but I’m never very far from the shore if it’s below 10 °C.
It’s sad to see how far people will subjugate themselves for a paycheck.
In one of my first postings over at stderr, I advanced the idea that there are certain inherently immoral professions, one of those being policing. My argument was that policing inevitably forces one to choose between injustice against the people one is sworn to protect, and one’s beliefs. I don’t believe in hell, but to me the worst thing would be knowing I was giving my life and blood to perpetuating injustice all the while sworn to serve and protect. In a world where I was god, one of those cops would uncap his bottle of pepper spray, think a second or two while looking at it, and start spraying his fellow cops with it.
BTW: fucking amateurs.
1) they are lined up for a turkey shoot
2) to retreat they would have to waddle up that hill
3) there is no ground cover at all where they are
2 snipers positioned in a crossfire could devastate them. They think they are badasses and tough guys, who probably think they’re all “counter-terrorist” and shit, but they have no idea what a pile of giblets on the hoof they are.
chigau (ever-elliptical)says
Marcus #7
They are displaying total confidence that their opponents are unarmed.
SenseOfTheAbsurdsays
Oh FFS. I’d be embarrassed to be one of those cops. And how stoopid do you have to be to get on a boat in full bullet-proof vests and ridiculous overkill swat onesies? Slip on the mud and you’ll sink like a rock.
I heard Obama put the kibosh on the pipeline. If that’s so, congratulations.
rqsays
They are displaying total confidence that their opponents are unarmed.
… Which is interesting, considering all the scare-talk about armed protectors and all that.
To be honest, these pictures make me fear for the people involved. With winter coming on and essentially silence from the federal government (or at least, a lack of specific, concrete action, which amounts to much the same thing), I can’t imagine that there will be no fatalities in the near future.
I heard Obama put the kibosh on the pipeline. If that’s so, congratulations.
He has not. He’s made noise about seeing if the pipeline can be rerouted (in the meantime, DA and ETP keep working), and said we need to see how things play out for the next two or three weeks.
SenseOfTheAbsurdsays
Damn.
Well, good luck.
Lenard Lindstromsays
Game wardens? Transporting heavily armed military types in river boats?!? Disturbing. I have a hard time imaging British Columbia conservation officers being involved in a police operation unrelated to wildlife management.
chigau (ever-elliptical) says
The cops are really not dressed for this.
and they need a rope to get up and down that hill.
Giliell, professional cynic -Ilk- says
They need to crawl back under the rock from which they came from. I cannot describe the utter contempt I feel for them.
Caine says
All the protectors who were in the water, that was 50 F degrees -- many of them had to be taken into medical, they were hypothermic. For people who aren’t familiar with water, 50 degree water and below is killing water if you’re in it for any length of time, you lose body heat very quickly.
After the cops destroyed the bridge which had been built, a lot of protectors stayed out in the water, pulling, pushing, and placing wood in the way of the cop boats, and keeping the wood in place. Those people were almost completely submerged in the water, and stayed out for a long time, until they couldn’t manage anymore. A lot of them could barely make it to shore, and had to be pulled in by people, their muscles had completely cramped and seized up from the cold. They did a heroes day’s work, unlike the cops.
I saw on the #NoDAPL feed that someone started a go fund me for the cops, the “heroes of Morton county”. Heroes my ass.
Ice Swimmer says
You are one voice writing history in with all of these photos.
Ice Swimmer says
Caine @ 3
Indeed they did. I concur that being in 50 °F/10 °C water for a long time is no joke, especially in flowing water. Above that temperature, lake or sea water gets quite quickly easier to be in if you’re used to it. AFAIK, 50 °F/10 °C is the temperature at which the risk of cramps and stiffening of muscles rises quickly, also entering the water feels extremely cold and makes you gasp for air involuntarily if you aren’t used to it.
With reference to my handle, the water protectors did things on a different scale from what I do for recreation. I’m used to cold water but I’m never very far from the shore if it’s below 10 °C.
Marcus Ranum says
It’s sad to see how far people will subjugate themselves for a paycheck.
In one of my first postings over at stderr, I advanced the idea that there are certain inherently immoral professions, one of those being policing. My argument was that policing inevitably forces one to choose between injustice against the people one is sworn to protect, and one’s beliefs. I don’t believe in hell, but to me the worst thing would be knowing I was giving my life and blood to perpetuating injustice all the while sworn to serve and protect. In a world where I was god, one of those cops would uncap his bottle of pepper spray, think a second or two while looking at it, and start spraying his fellow cops with it.
Marcus Ranum says
BTW: fucking amateurs.
1) they are lined up for a turkey shoot
2) to retreat they would have to waddle up that hill
3) there is no ground cover at all where they are
2 snipers positioned in a crossfire could devastate them. They think they are badasses and tough guys, who probably think they’re all “counter-terrorist” and shit, but they have no idea what a pile of giblets on the hoof they are.
chigau (ever-elliptical) says
Marcus #7
They are displaying total confidence that their opponents are unarmed.
SenseOfTheAbsurd says
Oh FFS. I’d be embarrassed to be one of those cops. And how stoopid do you have to be to get on a boat in full bullet-proof vests and ridiculous overkill swat onesies? Slip on the mud and you’ll sink like a rock.
I heard Obama put the kibosh on the pipeline. If that’s so, congratulations.
rq says
… Which is interesting, considering all the scare-talk about armed protectors and all that.
To be honest, these pictures make me fear for the people involved. With winter coming on and essentially silence from the federal government (or at least, a lack of specific, concrete action, which amounts to much the same thing), I can’t imagine that there will be no fatalities in the near future.
Caine says
SenseOfTheAbsurd:
He has not. He’s made noise about seeing if the pipeline can be rerouted (in the meantime, DA and ETP keep working), and said we need to see how things play out for the next two or three weeks.
SenseOfTheAbsurd says
Damn.
Well, good luck.
Lenard Lindstrom says
Game wardens? Transporting heavily armed military types in river boats?!? Disturbing. I have a hard time imaging British Columbia conservation officers being involved in a police operation unrelated to wildlife management.