People around the world will be protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline today
Demonstrations will be held around the world Tuesday as activists continue to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Tuesday marks the #NoDAPL Day of Action. Activists will stand in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which has been actively trying to stop the construction of the $3.8 billion oil pipeline that would run between the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota and Illinois.
Day of Action
Posted by Standing Rock Sioux Tribe on Monday, September 12, 2016
The hope is that this global movement will put pressure on federal officials to revoke the permits for the pipeline, according to the Action Network's website. There are at least three #NoDAPL Day of Action events planned for Minnesota, the website shows.
- Twin Cities Stands with Standing Rock #NoDAPL will be held at Mears Park in St. Paul starting at 5 p.m.
- No DAPL Vigil in Northfield will be held at 14 Bridge Square in Northfield (across from the Northfield Post Office) at 6:15 p.m.
- NoDAPL Day of Solidarity will be held at Jackson Street Park in Mankato at 5 p.m.
Proponents of the pipeline say it will reduce the amount of oil that needs to be transported by truck or train. (Rail safety has been a major concern since the North Dakota oil boom.)
But American Indians and activists, who have been protesting the construction of the pipeline for months, say it's a threat to their water supply and will destroy sites of cultural and historical significance
Standing Rock's encampment to protest the pipeline has grown to thousands of people since being started this spring, and has garnered national and global attention.
https://twitter.com/iamlakotak/status/775508063885197313
Josh Nelson, a Day of Action organizer, told Forum News Service that people everywhere are watching.
"This has struck a chord with the environmental and climate change groups and it all flows from tribal leadership and from farmers and landowners in Iowa," Nelson said.
Federal officials are also taking notice. After Standing Rock filed a lawsuit (the court ruled in the pipeline's favor last week), the Department of Justice asked the pipeline company – Energy Transfer Partners – to "voluntarily pause all construction activity within 20 miles east or west of Lake Oahe."
That’s so authorities can evaluate some federal laws to figure out whether any previous decisions regarding the Lake Oahe site need to be changed.
https://twitter.com/ajplus/status/774415370853548032
For updates on the protests, check out Standing Rock's website and its Facebook page, or follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #NoDAPL.
