Coached on by a chant of “Who stands with Standing Rock?,” at least 1,500 demonstrators made their way from Pershing Square to the Edward Royball Federal Building in protest against President Donald Trump’s executive order fast-tracking the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines.
“I understand why my people were nearly pushed to extinction,” said one demonstrator at the protest in front of the federal building.
Protesters gathered at 10 a.m. at Pershing Square at 6th and Hill streets, then marched to the Edward Roybal Federal Building at Hill and Temple streets for an 11:30 a.m. rally, said Karen Pomer of Labor for Standing Rock.
A pipeline made of black paper mache, with “No More Dirty Oil” written in white letters, was carried through the streets, accompanied by signs that said “Water is Life” and “Water is greater than oil.”
The president’s executive order cited the need for energy independence to construct the pipelines, which will link coal sands extraction fields in Alberta, Canada with refiners and export terminals on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
–City News Service