Latest Fact Check

Claim: Did police set fire to anti-pipeline protest camp in North Dakota?

Rating: 100% False

Background: On February 1, 2017, the Alternative Media Syndicate published a photograph of burning tents alongside a headline claiming that police had raided an anti-pipeline protest camp, dismantling tipis and burning what remains. The image cited in the article is a screen from the HBO film Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (a historical drama about Native Americans) as evidence.

What really happened? Law enforcement arrested 76 protesters Wednesday afternoon after they attempted to create a new campsite on private property. According to the Morton County Sheriff’s Department, officers entered the camp after protesters failed to …

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Claim: Dakota Access Pipeline protesters challenge free press

Rating: 100% True

Background: On October 11, 2016, reporters covering the resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline were confronted and threatened with bodily harm while. In a video released by NBC North Dakota, masked demonstrators can be seen surrounding the news crew and aggressively challenging their right to report on the unfolding protests. “You guys need to go to your car and get the f**k out of here,” said a protester. “Shut the f**k up. If you keep talking dude I’m going to f**king kick your ass bro,” said another as the journalists scramble to retreat from the public roadway …

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