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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The owners of a $3.8 billion oil pipeline under construction in North Dakota are suing a group of activists who want the project stopped.

Dakota Access LLC filed a federal lawsuit against Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman David Archambault and eight other activists. Several protesters were arrested at a pipeline construction site south of Mandan last week.

Dakota Access claims one of the protesters had a large knife and made threats to harm pipeline workers. The complaint also says Archambault excused all tribal employees from work on Friday to encourage them to protest and block the pipeline’s construction.

Dakota Access says hundreds of people showed up at the protest, bottles and rocks were thrown and the Morton County Sheriff’s Dept. had to evacuate the area.

Dakota Access wants a federal judge to order the protesters to stop interfering with the pipeline’s construction, plus unspecified damages.