Protest at pipeline construction yard ends without arrests

MANDAN, N.D. – Hundreds of protesters have left after blocking a construction yard for the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota.

Morton County sheriff's spokesman Rob Keller says the crowd of about 500 protesters dispersed early Saturday afternoon after linking arms to block the entrance. No one was arrested, and workers had been evacuated.

Earlier Saturday, Keller says a caravan of about 150 cars left the protest camps and arrived in Mandan, where protesters stood and blocked the intersection of Highway 6 and Main Street. The caravan then headed west to the work yard where construction equipment is kept.

The four-state, 1,200-mile pipeline is complete except for under the Missouri River in North Dakota. Protesters fear the pipeline could affect water supply and disturb tribal cultural sites.