Shailene Woodley was just arrested while protesting Dakota Access Pipeline

"They have giant guns and batons and zip-ties and they are not letting me go."
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Actress and outspoken activist Shailene Woodley was arrested Monday afternoon in Sioux County, North Dakota, while protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline, a controversial pipeline over 1,000 miles long that would transport crude oil through sacred lands of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Woodley was one of many of activists and Indigenous peoples in the region protesting the construction of the pipeline, which was recently put on pause (though not halted completely) by the Obama administration. The actress streamed events from today's protests on Facebook, and unexpectedly broadcast her arrest to thousands watching online.

"I have to say they were peaceful today, and that is a blessing," Woodley said about police at the scene moments before saying some "Divergent shit" was about to happen.


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"I was just told that the cops are following me. Send some prayers," she said upon approaching her RV surrounded by police officers, police vehicles and what appears to be a tank.

As they approach the RV, Woodley handed the mobile phone to her mother and asks her to record the interaction.

"I don't know if you guys heard me but I was just walking back to my RV... so we can go back to camp peacefully, and they grabbed me by my jacket and said I wasn't allowed to continue," Woodley explained. "They have giant guns and batons and zip-ties and they are not letting me go."

A police officer then informed her that she was being placed under arrest for criminal trespassing.

"Why am I being arrested and no one else is who was down there?" she asked the officer, inquiring if her fame had anything to do with it before explaining hundreds of people were where she was as well and as soon as they were asked to leave by police officers, they left.

Woodley was recently a guest on Late Night with Seth Myers with Bernie Sanders, speaking about her experience protesting peacefully against the Dakota Access Pipeline, calling the month and a half she was there "one of the greatest experiences" of her life.

Mashable has reached out to Woodley's representatives for comment regarding her arrest today.

Topics Activism

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