Last week, Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe announced he was heading to Standing Rock to protest the Dakota Access oil pipeline. As we previously mentioned, Vox has an excellent explainer on why this is a big deal. The pipeline, which had already been rerouted due to safety concerns from another neighborhood, would carry "450,000 barrels of crude per day from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota down to a terminal in Illinois." However, local residents of Standing Rock Indian Reservation have been protesting and are concerned that the pipeline would contaminate local water, and a leak or a spill could prove deadly.
Blythe went last week, and has been keeping relatively low key since he got there. He posted a quick update four days ago, saying he made it safely to the grounds:
Today, Blythe posted a longer piece saying he was leaving the protest and that it was mostly peaceful. He urged people looking to come to the region to protest to instead protest in their local area:
I have made it back from Standing Rock, safe, sound, & without any injury or arrest- thank you to those who wished me well on my travels. Also thank you to the many people of all different colors I met who greeted me with open arms, & to the fans who treated me with such respect- you are all beautiful people, & it was an honor to stand with you there as one. I did not go to Standing Rock as a journalist, I went as a regular dude, but a large media outlet found out I was there & reached out to me to write a story about my experiences, so that is what I am doing now- more details later- I am just posting this to let y’all know I am ok. I will say this, because it is IMPORTANT- if you are planning on going to Standing Rock to raise hell, fight cops, & cause chaos, PLEASE DO NOT GO. Stay at home and do that in your own community if you must, so that you can see the repercussions of your actions at home & around your own people. The community in North Dakota, both native & non-native, both pro & anti-pipeline, do not need that. I heard nothing but constant instructions to stay non-violent & to remain in prayer while I was amongst the people, both on the frontline & back in the Oceti Sakowin camp. I did not see violence nor did I get wind of violent acts being planned. That is not what it is about, and it will merely cause more pain & confusion in an already very, very tense situation, so don’t go if you have hate in your heart- I had to constantly examine mine to make sure I was acting in a correct, helpful manner. Also, don’t go if you think it’s a leisurely camping holiday- this is not summer camp, it’s North Dakota, the weather there kills, & if you aren’t ready for that, you can die. Period. It’s not a joke. That’s all for now- I have writing to do. Peace & chicken grease- Randy
Good to hear Randy was not a victim of those incredibly painful water cannons cops were shooting at protesters.
I look forward to Randy's full report when he's ready to publish it.
