SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - As the deadline nears for the Dakota Access Pipeline protesters to abandon their campsite, there's word that the State of North Dakota is offering them a way out.
Highway Patrol Lieutenant Tom Iverson says buses are staged near the campsite in south central North Dakota along the Missouri River.
Iverson says those taking advantage of the offer will be taken to a travel assistance center in Bismarck.
He says the offer demonstrates the state's willingness to peacefully help the protesters end their 6 months long encampment near the last stretch of the oil pipeline's finish.
Iverson calls them amnesty buses and they're for protesters who may not have any way to travel from the site. He says there have to be some protesters who don't want to be arrested and they'll get on the bus.
At Bismarck, health and wellness checkups will be available with a meal and a one-night stay in a hotel. A one-way bus ticket to any location in the country is also on the table.
The deadline to leave the camp is this afternoon