Protesters call for divestment from banks over Dakota Access Pipeline
Local Native American activists led a demonstration Friday morning at the State House against oil pipelines across the nation. About 40 people attended the protest to call for divesting Providence city funds from banks that fund pipeline projects. These include the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota, which...
Local Native American activists led a demonstration Friday morning at the State House against oil pipelines across the nation. About 40 people attended the protest to call for divesting Providence city funds from banks that fund pipeline projects. These include the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota, which would cut across Indigenous land.
The demonstration this morning was in solidarity with the Native Nations Rise March in Washington, D.C., which also happened today. Kate Schapira is a Providence resident who worked with NoDAPL Rhode Island to organize the today’s event. She said that divestment is an important action the city can take to take a stand for justice for Native Americans.
“The projects are in violation of indigenous rights, they’re environmentally disastrous both in the short and in the long term, and by having our city funds with the banks, we’re essentially helping to support them,” Schapira said.
A motion to divest has been sponsored by Councilman Seth Yurdin and seconded by Councilman David Salvatore. As of Friday, the motion was not on the Ordinance Committee’s agenda.
Photo by Mackenzie Abernethy. Protesters met at the State House to galvanize support for their movement to divest Providence city funds from banks that fund pipelines.