This is why your Facebook friends are checking in at Standing Rock
If your Facebook timeline suddenly filled with friends “checking in” to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation on Monday morning, you’re probably not alone.
But chances are, your friends didn’t actually travel to Cannon Ball, North Dakota to join protests over the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline — they’re simply following the instructions of a viral Facebook post.
The post calls for protest supporters to use the social network’s check-in feature to show solidarity and “overwhelm and confuse” local police. It claims that the Morton County Sheriff’s Department is using check-ins to locate protestors and disrupt demonstrations.
“This is concrete action that can protect people putting their bodies and well-beings on the line that we can do without leaving our homes,” the message says.
As of this writing, nearly 400,000 people have “liked” the Standing Rock page, and 4,600 have “visited” — although it’s unknown how many check-ins were made since the post started making the rounds.
It’s also unclear where the post originated from, and no protest group has claimed responsibility for the call to action so far. Organizers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, the Morton County Sheriff’s Department has denied claims that it is using Facebook to “target” protesters.
Protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline have been ongoing for months now. The $3.8 billion project is intended to connect an oil field in North Dakota to Illinois, for shipment to midwest and Gulf Coast markets. The proposed pipeline would cut through four states and across the Missouri River.
But the river is a main source of water for the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, located on the border of North Dakota and South Dakota. It’s also the location of historic Native American burial and prayer sites — all of which tribe members say would be jeopardized by the pipeline.
Tensions have erupted in violence in recent weeks, with authorities arresting more than 140 protesters during demonstrations on Friday.
