A Minnesota appeals court has denied an appeal aimed at halting construction of the Enbridge Line 3 tar sands pipeline in northern Minnesota. In a 2-1 ruling, the court upheld the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s approval of the 340-mile pipeline. More than 700 people have been arrested since June in Indigenous-led protests against the pipeline. Indigenous lawyer Tara Houska of the Giniw Collective condemned Tuesday’s ruling.

Tara Houska: “Today’s ruling from the Minnesota Supreme Court is yet another example of Minnesota not responding to the climate crisis, not respecting Indigenous sovereignty and continuing to ignore what’s happening in real time all around us, with smoky skies, the world burning, the rivers in drought and water protectors being brutalized by police that are being paid by Enbridge.”