CANON BALL, NORTH DAKOTA (AP) — Authorities say they have ousted Dakota Access pipeline protesters from a camp they had set up on land owned by the pipeline developer.
Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier says authorities will maintain a presence in the area for the time being to keep protesters off private land and prevent them from blocking a nearby highway.
About 200 police and soldiers launched the operation at midday to force out the protesters, a day after they refused to leave voluntarily from the camp.
Kirchmeier said late in the afternoon that the camp was secure, though officers were still dealing with some protesters in the surrounding area.
Kirchmeier said there had been 16 arrests and that total would increase.
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