Police arrest protesters refusing to leave Dakota Access Pipeline camp

BISMARCK, N.D. -- Police are arresting Dakota Access pipeline protesters who've failed to meet a deadline to clear a camp on federal land in North Dakota.

The Army Corps of Engineers ordered all protesters to leave by 2 p.m. Wednesday, citing concerns about potential spring flooding. About 150 people met that demand about 1 p.m. when they marched out of the camp.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers from several states were on hand to handle any arrests.



Some protesters set fire to wooden structures Wednesday morning as a part of a ceremony of leaving.

The pipeline will carry North Dakota oil through the Dakotas and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois. Opponents say it threatens the environment and Native American sacred sites. Dallas-based developer Energy Transfer Partners disputes those claims.