Tenney --
Last night, Sophia Wilansky was catastrophically injured when a concussion grenade thrown by police defending the Dakota Access Pipeline company hit her left arm and exploded. Sophia, a 21-year-old climate activist, was heading to bring water to the unarmed people who were being attacked for several hours by Morton County Sheriff forces. She was successfully delivered to emergency surgery in Minneapolis.
A generous group of Climate Hawks Vote members have pledged to match any contributions made to support Sophia's medical costs. Your $5 contribution will be doubled to $10 if you make it now:
Contribute $5 to support Sophia's medical fund with Climate Hawks Vote.All funds raised will go to Sophia's medical fund.
A generous group of Climate Hawks Vote members have pledged to match any contributions made to support Sophia's medical costs. Your $5 contribution will be doubled to $10 if you make it now:
Contribute $5 to support Sophia's medical fund with Climate Hawks Vote.All funds raised will go to Sophia's medical fund.
The Morton County Sheriff’s Department is falsely claiming that she was injured by a propane explosion caused by the protectors. The grenade pieces that have been removed from her arm in surgery will be saved for legal proceedings.
[Dear Readers, I was up a long time watching the live feed of the Morton County Sheriff's Department corralling the protestors in a small space which they could not get out of, then spraying them repeatedly and at length with mace, using tear gas, spraying them with cold water while the outside temperature was only 23F with a wind that made it feel even colder. I heard the explosions of the concussion grenades. The police are clearly lying. But the doctors have the evidence this time (read below). I have just contributed more to this young woman, disfigured for life, than I even gave to Bernie (my little $27, every now and again). Please show your support. Sophia was out there in harm's way for us, while we were safe and warm and uninjured at home, tweeting, ok? Thanks so much, Tenney]
Sophia is currently in stable condition. Below is information about her injuries and surgery from her father, lawyer Wayne Wilansky:
Sophia is currently in stable condition. Below is information about her injuries and surgery from her father, lawyer Wayne Wilansky:
A grenade exploded right as it hit Sophia in the left forearm taking most of the undersurface of her left arm with it. Both her radial and ulnar artery were completely destroyed. Her radius was shattered and a large piece of it is missing. Her medial nerve is missing a large section as well. All of the muscle and soft tissue between her elbow and wrist were blown away. Sophia will have surgery again tomorrow as bit by bit they try to rebuild a somewhat functioning arm and hand. The first surgery took a vein from her leg which they have implanted in her arm to take the place of the missing arteries. She will need multiple surgeries to try to gain some functional use of the arm and hand.
"There are no words to describe the pain of watching my daughter cry and say she was sorry for the pain she caused me and my wife," her father says. "I died a thousand deaths today and will continue to do so for quite some time. I am left without the right words to describe the anguish of watching her look at her now alien arm and hand."
It's crucial that our support respect Sophia's deliberate sacrifice and builds power for the climate movement. We must keep organizing and holding the fossil-fuel industry and its enablers accountable.
Your $10 will be doubled to $20 to support Sophia's medical fund.
Sophia was far from alone in suffering direct violence from the Dakota Access police forces.
Hundreds of water protectors have been injured at the Standing Rock encampments in the last few days. Law enforcement blasted the protectors with water cannons in freezing temperatures Sunday evening. Water protectors’ efforts to clear the road and improve access to the camp for emergency services were met with tear gas, stinger grenades, rubber bullets, and indiscriminate use of a water cannon with an air temperature of 26 degrees Fahrenheit. Multiple people were unconscious and bleeding after being shot in the head with rubber bullets. Hundreds were treated for injuries, tear-gas exposure, and hypothermia.
Chip in any amount now to support Sophia's medical fund.
Please share this email with friends and family.
your fellow climate hawk,
Brad Johnson
Sophia was far from alone in suffering direct violence from the Dakota Access police forces.
Hundreds of water protectors have been injured at the Standing Rock encampments in the last few days. Law enforcement blasted the protectors with water cannons in freezing temperatures Sunday evening. Water protectors’ efforts to clear the road and improve access to the camp for emergency services were met with tear gas, stinger grenades, rubber bullets, and indiscriminate use of a water cannon with an air temperature of 26 degrees Fahrenheit. Multiple people were unconscious and bleeding after being shot in the head with rubber bullets. Hundreds were treated for injuries, tear-gas exposure, and hypothermia.
Chip in any amount now to support Sophia's medical fund.
Please share this email with friends and family.
your fellow climate hawk,
Brad Johnson
LEARN MORE
Dakota Access pipeline protester seriously hurt during police standoff, The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/
Dakota Pipeline: Protesters Soaked With Water in Freezing Temperatures, NBC News
http://www.nbcnews.com/
Demand the demilitarization of Standing Rock:
White House: 202-456-1111
ND Office of the Governor: 701-328-2200
Morton County Sheriff's Department: 701-328-8118 & 701
ND National Guard: 701-333-2000
White House phone number: 202-456-1111.
-b
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22nd, 2016 at 9:00am CST
For Press Conference information contact medichealercouncil@gmail.com
Prepared by Standing Rock Medic & Healer Council at the Standing Rock Dakota Access Pipeline Resistance Camps
On November 21st as a direct result of the violent police response at Standing Rock towards unarmed people opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline, a 21 year old woman from New York City, Sophia Wilansky, was severely injured when a concussion grenade thrown by police hit her left arm and exploded. Sophia was heading to bring water to the unarmed people who were being attacked for several hours by Morton County Sheriff forces. The Morton County Sheriff’s Department has stated that she was injured by a purported propane explosion that the Sheriff’s Department claimed the unarmed people created. These statements are refuted by Sophia’s testimony, by several eye-witnesses who watched police intentionally throw concussion grenades at unarmed people, by the lack of charring of flesh at the wound site and by the grenade pieces that have been removed from her arm in surgery and will be saved for legal proceedings.
Sophia was safely taken out of North Dakota for emergent surgery and is currently in stable condition. Below is her statement as conveyed by her father, lawyer Wayne Wilansky.
“At around 4:30am after the police hit the bridge with water cannons and rubber bullets and pepper spray they lobbed a number of concussion grenades which are not supposed to be thrown at people directly at protesters or protectors as they want to be called. A grenade exploded right as it hit Sophia in the left forearm taking most of the undersurface of her left arm with it. Both her radial and ulnar artery were completely destroyed. Her radius was shattered and a large piece of it is missing. Her medial nerve is missing a large section as well. All of the muscle and soft tissue between her elbow and wrist were blown away. The police did not do this by accident - it was an intentional act of throwing it directly at her. Additionally police were shooting people in face and groin intending to do the most possible damage. Sophia will have surgery again tomorrow as bit by bit they try to rebuild a somewhat functioning arm and hand. The first surgery took a vein from her leg which they have implanted in her arm to take the place of the missing arteries. She will need multiple surgeries to try to gain some functional use of the arm and hand. She will be, every day for the foreseeable future, fearful of losing her arm and hand. There are no words to describe the pain of watching my daughter cry and say she was sorry for the pain she caused me and my wife. I died a thousand deaths today and will continue to do so for quite some time. I am left without the right words to describe the anguish of watching her look at her now alien arm and hand.”
A fund set up by friends and verified to help with Sophia’s recovery is set up here:
The Standing Rock Medic Healer Council deplores the ongoing use of violence by the state of North Dakota to address the concerns of the thousands of people peacefully assembled at Standing Rock to insist on the right to clean healthy drinking water.
Water is Life, Mni Wiconi
Signed,
Linda Black Elk, PhD, Ethnobotanist, Sitting Bull College
Michael Knudsen, MPH candidate, Standing Rock Medic & Healer Council
Noah Morris, EMT
Amelia Massucco, RN
John Andrews, RN
Kristina Golden, EMT, herbalist
Sebastian Rodriguez, RN
Rosemary Fister, RN, MNPHN, DNP Candidate
Rupa Marya, MD, DoNoHarm Coalition, University of California – San Francisco
David Kingfisher, MD, JD, Wichita State University
Jesse Lopez, MD, Heartland Surgical Care
Kalama O Ka Aina Niheu, MD, Aha Aloha Aina
Howard Ehrman, MD, MPH, University of Illinois - Chicago
Geeta Maker-Clark, MD, University of Chicago
Elizabeth Friedman, MD
Vanessa Bolin, ALS Paramedic
Contact: Michael Knudsen, Medic Coordinator and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe ethno-botanist Linda Black Elk, PhD – medichealercouncil@gmail.com
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