“Water is a lifeline, take away the pipeline, ” “From city to city from block to block, we stand with Standing rock” and “We can’t drink oil, leave it in the soil,” were amongst a few of the many powerful chants echoed in solidarity with water protectors opposing the forced Dakota Access Pipeline.
Hundreds gathered in Grand Central Terminal at 8 am in New York City to raise awareness about the corporate greed, environmental genocide, gross lack of respect for Native peoples’ lives and arrests of peaceful protesters over 1,600 miles away at Standing Rock in North Dakota.
The demonstrators marched outside of Grand Central and occupied the lobby of Bank of America, one of the corporations funding the pipeline, waving yards of light blue fabric representative of the water they are trying to protect. They were followed closely by a police force nearly matching their numbers, as they continued up towards Times Square where they seen by many tourists and other passersby.
Abby, one of the organizers of the protest explained what type of response she wants to see, “We went to Bank of America and JPMorgan because they are directly funding the genocide in Standing Rock. We want to give the message to the people that we want them to stop depositing their moneys into these accounts ”
Myles, a 28- year old Ph.D student in political science explained his reason for supporting the action: “I think Indigenous rights are greatly violated in the process of building the DAPL, there is massive police brutality, massive police militarization, completely unnecessary…it is not only a violation of Indigenous rights, but also a very dangerous infrastructure project that will increase climate change.”
After leaving Times Square the group headed towards a nearby JP Morgan in Midtown Manhattan. Security personnel attempted to curtail their efforts by blocking the entrance, but the crowd continued their chants and attracted the attention of onlookers, most who were unaware of the crisis in North Dakota through mainstream media. Many of the protestors testified they had only heard about the struggle through social media and independent news outlets.
Indignant at the neglect of mention in mainstream media outlets about the Dakota Access Pipeline, Carmen, a 54-year-old educator who passed by the protest on her way to work decided to join. She said “I think it falls in line with every other corporate strategy it’s not even our media, the oil industry it’s how they construct our reality to keep us blind, to keep us docile, it’s how they take advantage of us and continue to inflict violence upon us, spiritual violence and economic violence.”
Despite efforts to silence protestors, support for the push against the Dakota Access Pipeline is growing astronomically and has served as a unifying force in the people’s movements. Over 300 tribes have expressed their support for the action. Protesters have hailed from all over the states and the globe from Latin America and Asia. This multinational and multiethnic unity was reflected in the protest at Grand Central station. Some came dressed in garb indigenous to their countries with signs reading “Native Lives Matter” as a demonstration of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Paola, a Colombian immigrant explained, “ [environmental genocide] is happening in a lot of parts in my country…The media and government are ignoring everything. We are here to support no DAPL because it is the same cause.”
The Dakota access pipeline poses a threat to the continued existence of Native people in North Dakota. The pipeline, at 1,172 miles will stretch across four states carrying 470,00 barrels of crude oil a day. Since 2010, upwards of 3,000 incidents of crude oil gas leaks or ruptures have occurred on U.S. pipelines and caused Hundreds of deaths. The people’s resistance is justified considering a sizeable number of these incidents have occurred in North Dakota in the past.
The people of North Dakota and their supporters are determined to fight till the end, urging citizens to send supplies to the encampment, write to politicians ,and organize local efforts to raise awareness. Last week a group of Native youth delivered a letter to the offices of Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton asking for support and were turned away.
In contrast, Presidential candidate Gloria La Riva issued this statement;”The Gloria La Riva for President Campaign stands in solidarity with the water protectors at Standing Rock and calls for an end to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. La Riva calls for freedom for all those who have been arrested at Standing Rock including the 141 people arrested on Oct. 27; all charges should be dropped. Millions of people witnessed the arrests over social media; the police have exposed themselves as protectors of private property and the oil companies, and as agents of ongoing colonialism.”
When asked what standing rock means to them, organizer of the protest Moana remarked, “It means resistance, community , and power for the people.” Laurena added, “We are protectors of Mother Earth and our future generations.”
All Power to the people!
