#NoDAPL Protesters Shut Down Intersection in Downtown Columbus
In Columbus, Ohio hundreds of protesters marched together in solidarity with the water protectors at standing rock North Dakota. “This action is occurring simultaneously with protests of across the nation and world in solidarity with the people at Standing Rock” said Madeline ffitch of Appalachia Resist!.
The peaceful protest began in front of the Columbus state house and ended a few blocks away outside of chase bank at 3rd & Broad. Issues such as Ohio’s deployment of 37 State troopers to North Dakota who have engaged in militaristic human rights abuses against peaceful NoDAPL protesters at the expense of Ohioan taxpayers, divestment by banks who have invested over $3.7 billion into energy transfer partners disastrous pipeline, and a call for President Obama to end his final term in the White House with the immediate halting of the US Army Corps of Engineers permits.
“Water is life!” Shouted Peter Gibbons-Ballew- the protester who ground traffic to a halt after locking himself to a van at The intersection of third and State Street. Police on horseback were on the scene as were multiple fire trucks and helicopters circled overhead.”Today is not a day for business as usual – today is a day to shine a light on the human rights abuses being perpetrated on indigenous people attempting to protect their own health and welfare” said protester Lauren Goldberg. Business as usual certainly was not possible in the several hours that protesters occupied the Columbus financial district in one of the biggest protests Columbus has seen for years.
November 15, 2016 has been declared a National Day of Solidarity with the Standing Rock Water Protectors.
The immediate divestment of major banks from the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The President to immediately halt the DAPL by ordering the US Army Corps of Engineers to revoke the construction permits.
The immediate withdrawal of Ohio’s State Troopers from North Dakota. Committing Ohio state troopers to Standing Rock is an attack on human rights and a misuse of taxpayer dollars. Protesters have been maced, beaten, shot with rubber bullets, locked in dog cages, pulled out of Sweat Lodges during prayer, and brutally assaulted- including children and elders.Because of grave concerns of human rights abuses, the United Nations and Amnesty International have deployed human rights observers to Standing Rock to monitor law enforcement and private security aggression.
The immediate divestment of major banks from the Dakota Access Pipeline. Through Energy Transfer Partners, private banks have invested over $3.75 Billion in the construction of the DAPL. Lets inform the public and ourselves about the importance of divesting from and boycotting these banks:
Wells Fargo, Citibank/Citigroup, TD Securities, ING Bank, BBVA Securities, Citizens Bank, U.S. Bank/PNC Bank/Barclays, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, SunTrust, UBS, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and others.
The President to immediately halt the DAPL by ordering the US Army Corps of Engineers to revoke the construction permits. This is clearly within the President’s power. A request from the Department of Justice to halt construction has been ignored by Energy Transfer Partners. The construction of DAPL crosses the Missouri River, the sole drinking water source for thousands of people, both Indigenous and non-indigenous. A spill from DAPL would result in the catastrophic destruction of the Missouri River as a viable water source.
Join together in calling upon our fellow citizens, elected leaders and law enforcement to rectify the perpetuation of systemic and physical violence against the Indigenous Water Protectors and their Allies at Standing Rock as they defend the health and safety of their water systems and land.
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Appalachia Resist! 