An organization called 'Pro Bismarck-Pro Mandan' is having an open meeting Saturday, November 19th at Rock Point in Mandan.

The purpose of the meeting is for concerned citizens who want their town and or city back.  Chris Lemke, the spokesperson for the organization wants to send a central message in support of the communities of Bismarck and Mandan.

This is not a meeting in support or against DAPL, this is an opportunity for citizens and public elected officials to get involved in the effort to get back some form of normalcy in the area.

A few of the concerns Lemke mentioned are the fear and safety of our children, and the fear citizens have leaving their homes and somehow getting caught up in the DAPL protests. Many citizens are afraid to attend normal activities such as shopping and getting to and from work. He adds when schools get on lock down and school busses being re-routed due to protests, this is not the type of community parents want to raise their children in.

Lemke admits, law enforcement is stretched, and because the current situation is taxing the man power of local law officials, there is a concern for safety for the rest of the community because of the amount of officers using their time to protect various government buildings and providing safety for protesters in and around highways and city streets.

Lenke would like to see elected officials get involved in the public meeting. There are various Facebook groups defending Bismarck-Mandan that number over 20,000.

This is an opportunity for your voice to be heard at the meeting, Saturday at Rock Point in Mandan at 4p.m.

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