Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Ranger under investigation after clearing climate blockade from Nevada roadway

An officer with the Pyramid Lake Police Department is under investigation on Tuesday after ramming through a climate protesters barricade set up along a local highway, which was blocking traffic for 10 miles. When police arrived, they said that the activists were "trespassing on tribal land." The Sunday incident occurred on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation.

The five protesters arrested were not local to Nevada. Two of those arrested were from New York, while the other three were from Washington State, California, and Malta. They were arrested, cited and released. The activists were part of Seven Circles, which is part of Extinction Rebellion, which believes that humans are a problem for the planet.

The police put out a release after the incident, footage of which was captured by Freedom News TV, which read stated that the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Rangers "were dispatched to State Route 447 mile marker 34 on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Indian reservation, a sovereign nation, to activists who were blocking the highway to protest the environment.

"Upon arrival, Rangers informed the activists to clear themselves from the highway which backed up the traffic for several miles. One Ranger used his patrol vehicle to remove the blockade debris out of the roadway to allow Burning Man traffic to proceed. The involved Ranger's conduct is under review."

The climate activists were blocking State Route 447 mile marker 34 on Sunday, preventing revelers from getting to Burning Man, a massive gathering in the desert where people build massive structures over a period of a few days then burn them. Campers bring trailers, food, water and supplies for the desert soiree, and the activists staged the road blockage in an effort to get single-use plastics and private jets banned from the gathering. 

The police drove their truck through the barrier, leading the Extinction Rebellion activists to cry out "we're non-violent!" 

"We're environmental protesters!" They told officers.

Burning Man attendees, displeased with idling on the road way, attempted to persuade the activists to move, but were unsuccessful. Police were called, and that's when the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Ranger arrived on the scene and drove through the barricade. 

While the officer faces an investigation, another local officer was recently, fatally struck down by a suspect leaving the scene of a crime. The department posted a fundraiser for the family of the officer, and comments on that post included support from other officers, including internationally, who supported the efforts of the officers to clear the roadway of ideological protesters.