Silas Whitman stood with his fellow tribal members just feet away from police and the blinding headlights of a megaload, shouting words almost lost amid chanting.

"The people are speaking. Can you hear them?" the chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee yelled early Tuesday morning as the oversize load came to a halt amid protests along U.S. Highway 12. "Tomorrow the world will know what is going on here. The truth will come out. You're on the wrong side."

Minutes later, Whitman stepped forward with other tribal leaders to be the first of 20 protesters arrested, after the executive committee said they refused to move a human blockade to the side of the highway. He and the others were taken to the Nez Perce County Jail on allegations of disorderly conduct, said Nez Perce County sheriff's Lt. Jack McGee.

In addition to Whitman, McGee said the others arrested were Anthony Johnson, Daniel Kane, Samuel Penney, Samuel Davis, Joel Moffett, Leotis McCormack, Christina Guzman, David Penney, Brooklyn Baptiste, Carla Timentwa, Del Rae Kipp, Albert Barros, Cody Moses, Salena Five-Thunders, Letitia Whitman, Nicole Two Moon, Anthony Higheagle Jr., Carl Powaukee and Kyle Wisdom.

Johnson, Kane, Samuel Penney, Moffett, McCormack, Baptiste and Barros are executive committee members.

Everyone other than Powaukee and Wisdom bonded out of jail custody Tuesday, McGee said. Those two had outstanding tribal warrants unrelated to the protest.

Their stand was among a number of tense moments in the early morning standoff on U.S. Highway 12/95 during a drama that unfolded against the backdrop of a tribal gas station, convenience store and casino.

Omega Morgan crew members hauling the 644,000-pound evaporator owned by General Electric Co. and headed to the tar sands in Alberta, Canada, remained inside their vehicles.

Crew members waited nearly two hours while law enforcement gradually cleared the four-lane roadway of an estimated 400 protesters, including a large number of women and children.

Many passing motorists were likely temporarily stuck. Law enforcement officers were unable to offer a detour as several off-duty officers were summoned to assist, said Idaho State Police Sgt. Kevin Rouse

"I don't remember any protest that would have closed the road for that period," said Rouse, who has been with the agency for 23 years.

When the megaload eventually did pass, it only made it a little past the protest site, well short of the night's destination in Peck.

"Omega Morgan is not commenting on the protesters," said Olga Haley, a spokeswoman for Omega Morgan. "The crews are just trying to get the job done."

The mood of the protesters and the officers grew more serious the longer the standoff lasted. At about 1:45 a.m., some nontribal members were removed from the road.

James Shirley of Moscow initially didn't cooperate, stating he was a member of the Chickasaw Nation. Holding his 6-year-old son, officers forced him to the side as his boy cried.

Tribal officers quietly worked the group, speaking at a whisper and urging protesters to make a choice between moving to the side of the road, accepting a citation or being arrested.

As Nez Perce Tribal Police officers led tribal members away, they were taunted more than once by the crowd.

The tribe's executive committee backed the actions of the tribal officers in a statement, crediting them for protecting public safety in a potentially volatile situation.

"The tribal police did exactly what they are sworn to do - uphold the law, no matter who is involved," Whitman said. "They handled the megaload situation professionally and with the highest integrity."

Toward the end, the conflict centered around the Nez Perce tribal flag grasped by tribal member Rebecca Miles, often with her eyes closed. She asked for others to be prepared to be leaders, saying that officers were using a divide and conquer strategy.

"They're going to arrest the next leader and the next," she said.

Not long after that, protesters formed a circle and sang before moving to the side of the road and allowing the megaload to pass at around 2:30 a.m.

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Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.