The National Guard has stepped in to remove protesters who blocked access roads at Mount Rushmore Friday night ahead of President Trump’s arrival.
The demonstrators, mainly Native Americans, are protesting that South Dakota’s Black Hills — where Mount Rushmore stands — had been taken from the Lakota people against treaty agreements.
Authorities eventually cleared out the protesters, but not before 15 of them were arrested for missing a police-imposed deadline to leave.
The roadblock, consisting of three vans, two of which had their tires removed, reportedly left some ticket holders to the event on the outside looking in, Rapid City Journal reported.
President Trump is expected to take the amphitheater stage at Mount Rushmore just after 10 p.m. to deliver a speech before a massive fireworks show.
With Wires