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For Immediate Release

Contact: Blair Fitzgibbon, 202-503-6141, blair@soundspeedpr.com

Hundreds Surround SF Federal Building to Protest Dakota Access Pipeline Approval

‘Water protectors’ around the world respond to emergency request for solidarity with Standing Rock Sioux

(San Francisco)--Hundreds of people are surrounding the federal building on 7th street in San Francisco today in direct response to the approval of the final permit for the highly controversial Dakota Access Pipeline. Following a Presidential Order on Jan 24, the Army Corp of Engineers fast tracked the permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline. The permit approval does not have consent from the Standing Rock Sioux and tossed out the environmental review ordered by President Obama, allowing pipeline owner Energy Transfer Partners to resume drilling at Lake Oahe and under the Missouri River.

The Standing Rock Sioux, will be challenging the permit in court. Thousands of people from around the country and the world were inspired by the actions of the Standing Rock Sioux, traveling to North Dakota and camping near the pipeline construction. To date, 700 people have been arrested in North Dakota, causing delays in construction and many peaceful demonstrators have been attacked by dogs, rubber bullets, water cannons and sound grenades.

“The Army Corps of Engineers’ notice that it will grant the easement to allow Energy Transfer Partners to drill under Lake Oahe is in violation of their agreement to conduct the EIS. The Army Corp’s permitting process for this oil pipeline was not correct from the beginning”, says Pennie Opal Plant from Idle No More SF Bay, “Allowing this to happen now without conducting the agreed upon EIS and not considering the hundreds of thousands of comments on the EIS, in spite of the submission process not working on their website, is a miscarriage of justice for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and all of the living beings downstream of this pipeline.  Pipelines leak, they break, they spill toxins into fresh water.  When will people realize that water is more important than oil?”

“Donald Trump will not build his Dakota Access Pipeline without a fight. The granting of an easement, without any environmental review or tribal consultation, is not the end of this fight — it is the new beginning. Expect mass resistance far beyond what Trump has seen so far,” says Tom Goldtooth, Executive Director of the Indigenous Environmental Network, “The granting of this easement goes against protocol, it goes against legal process, it disregards more than 100,000 comments already submitted as part of the not-yet-completed environmental review process — all for the sake of Donald Trump’s billionaire big oil cronies. And, it goes against the treaty rights of the entire Seven Councils Fires of the Sioux Nations.  Donald Trump has not met with a single Native Nation since taking office. Our tribal nations and Indigenous grassroots peoples on the frontlines have had no input on this process. We support the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, and stand with them at this troubling time.”

The San Francisco protest joins a national day of action around the country, including a protest in front of the White House.