CANNON BALL, N.D. (AP) - A human rights group says it has sent observers to North Dakota to monitor the response of law enforcement to protests over the Dakota Access oil pipeline.
Amnesty International USA said Friday it is worried about the amount of force used against the protesters near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. The group also is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate police practices.
Authorities used shotgun beanbag rounds and pepper spray Thursday against some protesters on private land leading directly to the construction site. More than 140 people were arrested.
Meanwhile, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called for observers to be sent to the site. In a letter to President Obama, Sanders also asked that the president order the Army Corps of Engineers to halt construction on the pipeline while the case is decided in court.
