Updated 4:57pm EDT:

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg on Tuesday reportedly denied an emergency request for a restraining order filed by the Standing Rock Sioux, however, the hearing is being seen as a partial victory for the tribe.

In a press conference, a representative for the tribe explained that an “agreement” was reached, however, under which the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) company will not continue construction on the area east of North Dakota Highway 1806, which is under jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers, until Friday, when Boasberg is expected to issue his ruling on the preliminary injunction. The judge said he did not have jurisdiction to suspend activities on both sides of the highway.

In a statement, Standing Rock Sioux chairman David Archambault II said, “We are disappointed that the U.S. District Court’s decision does not prevent DAPL from destroying our sacred sites as we await a ruling on our original motion to stop construction of the pipeline.”

Earlier:

Hours before a federal judge is expected to rule on an emergency request for a restraining order, filed in response to the holiday weekend desecration of sacred sites, Indigenous activists in North Dakota once again halted construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) on Tuesday.

According to images shared on social media and reporting on the ground, multiple protectors, as they refer to themselves, have locked themselves to construction equipment.

“Many tribal nations, our allies—everybody’s here as water protectors. This land is ours! This water is ours!” declared Cody Hall, a representative from the Red Warrior Camp, standing in front of the occupied machinery.

The action comes just days after security forces hired by pipeline parent company Energy Transfer Partners viciously attacked tribal demonstrators with dogs and mace.

“They won’t drag us down, they won’t push us back,” Hall continued. “We are here and we will make sure this snake dies.”

One of the individuals on lockdown, Jules from the Oglala Lakota nation, explained how construction of the 1,172-mile crude oil pipeline would not only imperil the sacred water of the Standing Rock Sioux, but also harm native communities, which struggle with drug abuse and violence against women.

“I’m here on lockdown to send a message that our water is sacred, our women are sacred, our children are sacred,” said Jules, who is founder of the Mothers Against Meth Alliance. “And these pipelines bring in man camps and hardcore drugs, which leads to sex trafficking of native women, which leads to missing and murdered native women. So that’s why I’m here today.”