The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota has asked for support from across the country in its fight against construction of a crude oil pipeline across tribal land. They’ve encouraged peaceful demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience against investors and other backers of the project. Rhode Island environmental activists and concerned residents have responded to their call, holding a third rally yesterday in Providence.
TD Bank is one of several banks funding the construction of a crude oil pipeline that will span 1,172 miles from North Dakota to Illinois. A couple of weeks ago, two local activists with the group known as FANG Collective locked themselves to the entrance of TD Bank’s downtown Providence branch.
The bank’s security guard was clear he wouldn’t let that happen during this rally outside of the bank.
“You all do what you gotta do, that’s your right,” he said. “Don’t step across me and bring your problems and the chains and all that, and everybody’s gonna have a nice day. That’s all I’m telling you, cause I’m not the guy you want to be messin’ with.”
People say they were there to support Native tribes fighting to stop construction of the $3.7 billion pipeline. Cranston resident Nicole Clinker said she’s horrified by what’s happening in North Dakota.
“I think the gentleman from the bank doesn’t even know what’s happening and that’s probably why he was so abrasive,” said Clinker.
According to the Bismarck Tribune, an early version of the proposal called for the pipeline to cross the Missouri River north of Bismarck, but that plan was rejected out of fear that it would threaten Bismarck’s water supply. Now a portion of this project will cross under the Missouri River and over sacred land.
Providence resident Sarath Suong said he attended this rally because water and tribal sovereignty rights are important to him.
“I’m just really thankful that warriors like the folks who are holding it down over there are holding the line,” said Suong. “So I trying to do the best that I can here to make sure that their voices are lifted.”
Various news outlets, including NPR and the New York Times, reported that tensions between tribes, their supporters and law enforcement officials escalated last week, when more than 100 people were arrested.
Videos show officers using pepper spray and rubber bullets on protestors who call themselves water protectors. Clinker said she doesn’t think that’s the right way to treat people.
“I think it’s times that we notice the injustice that is happening now and that has been happening for hundreds of years,” said Clinker. “This was never our land to mess with and I just can’t believe that we’re in 2016 that they’re still allowing this to happen and that judges are saying that it’s okay. It’s just criminal.”
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe sued Energy Transfer Partners, the company building the pipeline. A federal judge recently declined to temporarily halt construction, but the Obama Administration stepped in to stop a portion of the construction on public land.
For the several dozen people here in solidarity with indigenous people, that’s not enough. They chanted:
When the lives that we live are under attack, what do we do? Stand up. Fight back. When the water we drink is under attack, what do we do? Stand up. Fight back. When the air that we breathe is under attack, what do we do? Stand up. Fight back.
Hey hey, ho ho. This pipeline has got to go.
Rally organizer Pia Ward said the fight against this pipeline isn’t just about climate change.
“So rather than look at it through a climate change lens, let’s look at through the lens of what they as human beings have a right to,” said Ward. “When they are fighting for their water, they don’t have other water sources, because we’ve taken them all.”
This week, President Obama told Now This News that the Army Corps of Engineers is looking into whether the pipeline could be rerouted.
