SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. are all involved in the Dakota Access Pipeline, and activists in Tokyo demanded the financiers divest. (Photo: 350.org Japan)
Activists Around the World Take #NoDAPL Fight to the Banks
Global demonstrations are calling on banks to divest from the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline, citing human rights abuses against water protectors
Dec 01, 2016
Update:
Organizers report that after the series of demonstrations on Thursday, Wells Fargo--a Dakota Access Pipeline investor--has agreed to meet with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe:
\u201cAfter wave of #NoDAPL protests, including people closing their bank accounts, Wells Fargo agrees to meet with Standing Rock Sioux tribe.\u201d— Antonia Juhasz (@Antonia Juhasz) 1480620916
Earlier:
Activists in Tokyo, Seattle, San Francisco, and Minneapolis marched, demonstrated, and demanded that banks divest from the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline in simultaneous actions Thursday.
"These catastrophic projects can't continue, and as citizens of Planet Earth, we can't allow banks to use our money to fund them," said Barb Drake, an organizer of the Seattle action, which saw over 100 people calling on Wells Fargo to divest from the project.
"These are not normal times, and this is not normal business," Drake said. "We're encouraging everyone to close their accounts at the funders of DAPL, and we'll do the same for funders of other dirty energy projects, like tar sands development. The stakes are just too high."
Across the Pacific Ocean, 350.org Japan and Greenpeace held a demonstration in Tokyo after sending a letter (pdf) demanding that Japan's major banks--some of the largest Dakota Access Pipeline financiers--immediately divest from the project.
"All Japanese banks involved in financing DAPL are signatories to the Equator Principles, a risk management framework adopted by financial institutions for determining, assessing, and managing environmental and social risk in project finance," the groups said in a statement. "Ignoring the threat posed to the health and livelihoods of the Sioux Tribe, in addition to the violent police activity that has been imposed upon the protestors, is clearly a violation of the Equator Principles."
National Nurses United (NNU) head RoseAnn DeMoro tweeted photos from San Francisco's rally outside of Wells Fargo Thursday:
\u201cHundreds of #NoDAPL activists, nurses march outside of @WellsFargo. DNB divested from #DAPL, now WF should follow suit. #WednesdayWisdom #p2\u201d— RoseAnn DeMoro (@RoseAnn DeMoro) 1480530643
And independent media collective Unicorn Riot live-streamed the demonstration at a Wells Fargo branch in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The activists sought to "disrupt business as usual" to demand divestment from the pipeline, the outlet reports:
The international campaign calling for divestment from the Dakota Access Pipeline has already been successful in Norway, whose largest bank and leading investment manager divested from the project last month. Native Americans in the U.S. and Indigenous Sami people in Norway coordinated with each other and successfully convinced banking executives of the link between the project and human rights abuses. Organizers are optimistic that banks in other countries will soon follow suit.
Thursday's mobilizations were a part of a Global Day of Action to start off a month of demonstrations calling for an end to the Dakota Access Pipeline. "We call on allies across the world to take action EVERY DAY starting December 1," organizers write.
Supporters of the water protectors in North Dakota can find and join a solidarity action here.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
350.orgdakota access pipelinegreenpeacehuman rightsjapannational nurses unitednorwayroseann demorotar sandswashington
Update:
Organizers report that after the series of demonstrations on Thursday, Wells Fargo--a Dakota Access Pipeline investor--has agreed to meet with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe:
\u201cAfter wave of #NoDAPL protests, including people closing their bank accounts, Wells Fargo agrees to meet with Standing Rock Sioux tribe.\u201d— Antonia Juhasz (@Antonia Juhasz) 1480620916
Earlier:
Activists in Tokyo, Seattle, San Francisco, and Minneapolis marched, demonstrated, and demanded that banks divest from the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline in simultaneous actions Thursday.
"These catastrophic projects can't continue, and as citizens of Planet Earth, we can't allow banks to use our money to fund them," said Barb Drake, an organizer of the Seattle action, which saw over 100 people calling on Wells Fargo to divest from the project.
"These are not normal times, and this is not normal business," Drake said. "We're encouraging everyone to close their accounts at the funders of DAPL, and we'll do the same for funders of other dirty energy projects, like tar sands development. The stakes are just too high."
Across the Pacific Ocean, 350.org Japan and Greenpeace held a demonstration in Tokyo after sending a letter (pdf) demanding that Japan's major banks--some of the largest Dakota Access Pipeline financiers--immediately divest from the project.
"All Japanese banks involved in financing DAPL are signatories to the Equator Principles, a risk management framework adopted by financial institutions for determining, assessing, and managing environmental and social risk in project finance," the groups said in a statement. "Ignoring the threat posed to the health and livelihoods of the Sioux Tribe, in addition to the violent police activity that has been imposed upon the protestors, is clearly a violation of the Equator Principles."
National Nurses United (NNU) head RoseAnn DeMoro tweeted photos from San Francisco's rally outside of Wells Fargo Thursday:
\u201cHundreds of #NoDAPL activists, nurses march outside of @WellsFargo. DNB divested from #DAPL, now WF should follow suit. #WednesdayWisdom #p2\u201d— RoseAnn DeMoro (@RoseAnn DeMoro) 1480530643
And independent media collective Unicorn Riot live-streamed the demonstration at a Wells Fargo branch in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The activists sought to "disrupt business as usual" to demand divestment from the pipeline, the outlet reports:
The international campaign calling for divestment from the Dakota Access Pipeline has already been successful in Norway, whose largest bank and leading investment manager divested from the project last month. Native Americans in the U.S. and Indigenous Sami people in Norway coordinated with each other and successfully convinced banking executives of the link between the project and human rights abuses. Organizers are optimistic that banks in other countries will soon follow suit.
Thursday's mobilizations were a part of a Global Day of Action to start off a month of demonstrations calling for an end to the Dakota Access Pipeline. "We call on allies across the world to take action EVERY DAY starting December 1," organizers write.
Supporters of the water protectors in North Dakota can find and join a solidarity action here.
Update:
Organizers report that after the series of demonstrations on Thursday, Wells Fargo--a Dakota Access Pipeline investor--has agreed to meet with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe:
\u201cAfter wave of #NoDAPL protests, including people closing their bank accounts, Wells Fargo agrees to meet with Standing Rock Sioux tribe.\u201d— Antonia Juhasz (@Antonia Juhasz) 1480620916
Earlier:
Activists in Tokyo, Seattle, San Francisco, and Minneapolis marched, demonstrated, and demanded that banks divest from the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline in simultaneous actions Thursday.
"These catastrophic projects can't continue, and as citizens of Planet Earth, we can't allow banks to use our money to fund them," said Barb Drake, an organizer of the Seattle action, which saw over 100 people calling on Wells Fargo to divest from the project.
"These are not normal times, and this is not normal business," Drake said. "We're encouraging everyone to close their accounts at the funders of DAPL, and we'll do the same for funders of other dirty energy projects, like tar sands development. The stakes are just too high."
Across the Pacific Ocean, 350.org Japan and Greenpeace held a demonstration in Tokyo after sending a letter (pdf) demanding that Japan's major banks--some of the largest Dakota Access Pipeline financiers--immediately divest from the project.
"All Japanese banks involved in financing DAPL are signatories to the Equator Principles, a risk management framework adopted by financial institutions for determining, assessing, and managing environmental and social risk in project finance," the groups said in a statement. "Ignoring the threat posed to the health and livelihoods of the Sioux Tribe, in addition to the violent police activity that has been imposed upon the protestors, is clearly a violation of the Equator Principles."
National Nurses United (NNU) head RoseAnn DeMoro tweeted photos from San Francisco's rally outside of Wells Fargo Thursday:
\u201cHundreds of #NoDAPL activists, nurses march outside of @WellsFargo. DNB divested from #DAPL, now WF should follow suit. #WednesdayWisdom #p2\u201d— RoseAnn DeMoro (@RoseAnn DeMoro) 1480530643
And independent media collective Unicorn Riot live-streamed the demonstration at a Wells Fargo branch in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The activists sought to "disrupt business as usual" to demand divestment from the pipeline, the outlet reports:
The international campaign calling for divestment from the Dakota Access Pipeline has already been successful in Norway, whose largest bank and leading investment manager divested from the project last month. Native Americans in the U.S. and Indigenous Sami people in Norway coordinated with each other and successfully convinced banking executives of the link between the project and human rights abuses. Organizers are optimistic that banks in other countries will soon follow suit.
Thursday's mobilizations were a part of a Global Day of Action to start off a month of demonstrations calling for an end to the Dakota Access Pipeline. "We call on allies across the world to take action EVERY DAY starting December 1," organizers write.
Supporters of the water protectors in North Dakota can find and join a solidarity action here.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.