Barack Obama has suggested the Dakota Access pipeline could be rerouted around sacred Native American lands in comments that are the president’s first on the controversial oil project since police arrested hundreds of indigenous protesters during violent clashes. The pipeline is scheduled to transport 470,000 barrels of crude oil from the Bakken oil field in North Dakota to a refinery near Chicago. Native American leaders said the construction had already disrupted sacred burial grounds. Asked about “shocking footage” showing police firing rubber bullets at protesters, Obama said: “It’s a challenging situation. “It’s completely laughable on every level and utterly ridiculous that they would be able to reroute at this point.”

Source: The Guardian November 02, 2016 04:25 UTC