Indigenous Youth Arrive in DC to Tell Biden: Stop Dakota Access and Line 3 Pipelines

(Washington, DC) — On Thursday, April 1st, frontline Indigenous youth and organizers from the Dakota Access and Line 3 pipeline fights will arrive in Washington, D.C. for a series of actions to urge President Biden to Build Back Fossil Free by stopping these climate-destroying projects and upholding his commitments to climate action, Indigenous rights, and environmental justice.
 
Indigenous youth and organizers will hold a rally at the Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters building on Thursday morning, amplifying the voices of 400,000 people across the country who signed a petitioncalling on the Corps to withdraw its permit approving of Line 3. Then, organizers will lead a march to Black Lives Matter plaza near the White House carrying a 200-foot-long “black snake,” representing the threat of the Enbridge Line 3 and the Dakota Access Pipelines to Indigenous communities, clean water, and our climate. 
 
These actions will bring the demands to stop these pipelines directly to Washington, D.C., amid President Biden’s stated commitments to act on the climate crisis, pursue environmental justice, and respect the rights of indigenous peoples. These pipelines will demonstrably exacerbate the climate crisis and allowing their construction would represent a major failure to listen to Indigenous leaders and communities on the frontlines of the fight against environmental injustice and to protect clean water. President Biden can avoid that by directing the Army Corps of Engineers to immediately reevaluate and suspend or revoke the Line 3 project’s Clean Water Act Section 404 permit.

Youth activists and rally organizers are available for interviews at multiple points during the events. Photo opportunities include the 200-foot “black snake” in front of the White House and the petition drop at the Army Corps Headquarters. Below is a schedule of the events with press moments highlighted.