Journalist Deia Schlosberg arrested filming tar sands pipeline protest is released, facing felony charges

Photo by CIFF

Journalist and Emmy award winning documentary filmmaker Deia Schlosberg was arrested on October 11 while filming a protest in Walhalla, North Dakota. Climate activists were protesting against the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline; a pipeline that will bring Canadian tar sands oil into the United States. The group was supporting Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Schlosberg was released today, but is facing felony charges.

Schlosberg is the producer of the documentary film How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change by climate activist and documentary filmmaker Josh Fox. Fox is well known for his Gasland series of documentary films about the dangers of fracking and fossil fuels impact on climate change.

Photo by Peg Hunter

Yesterday in an article by Fox for The Nation he reported that Schlosberg "was held for 48 hours before being allowed to speak to a lawyer." He also stated that the "authorities confiscated her footage. She is now charged with three counts of felony conspiracy and faces a possible sentence of up to 45 years. For being a journalist."

Climate Direct Action- the group protesting the controversial pipeline- shut down the pipeline without using violence or aggressive force. The activists used the emergency shut off valves to shut down multiple pipelines along the Canadian and US border, stating that it was a climate emergency. They shut down five pipelines along the border, including the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, that would deliver tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada. Schlosberg was filming and did not partake in any of the action, but was arrested as an accessory.

Photo by Joe Brusky

Protests have also been held in Standing Rock, North Dakota. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has been a loud voice against the Dakota Access Pipeline, filing a complaint stating that it "threatens the Tribe's environmental and economic well-being and would damage and destroy sites of great historic, religious and cultural significance to the Tribe." The complaint states that the pipeline goes against the Clean Water Act which "prohibits the discharge of any pollutant, including dredged spoil or other fill material, into waters of the United States unless authorized by a permit."

On October 10 Divergent actress Shailene Woodley was arrested in Sioux County while at a peaceful protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline. She streamed her arrest on Facebook Live. She was among 27 people arrested.

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Fox streamed on Facebook Live on October 13 from the streets of London where he was screening the film How To Let Go of the World. He said that Schlosberg is "the media. The media is allowed to report on actions that are happening." In his article for The Nation about the recent arrests he said "all this should send chills down the spine of every documentary filmmaker and journalist."

Photo by Joe Brusky

After her release Schlosberg posted a video to her Facebook thanking people for their support and stating that she will be posting more information soon. Celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo and Neil Young and politician Bernie Sanders have rallied to show their support and protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline. A petition has been started online to try and encourage law enforcement to drop the charges against Schlosberg.