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Day Before Vote, Activists Bring #NOKXL Fight to Democratic Senator's Front Door
'Authorizing Keystone XL is an act of war against our people,' South Dakota tribal president declares
Nov 17, 2014
Despite the rain, about 75 activists gathered outside the Washington, D.C. home of Senator Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) on Monday morning, protesting the Keystone XL pipeline she's thrown her full weight behind.
"Sen. Landrieu: if you're not a climate denier, don't vote like one," read one banner amidst a sea of "Vote No KXL" signs. Demonstrators included climate activists, local students, a farmer from Nebraska, and representatives of Native American communities. Protesters also brought along an inflatable black plastic pipeline.
"The House has now signed our death warrants and the death warrants of our children and grandchildren. Authorizing Keystone XL is an act of war against our people."
Cyril Scott, Rosebud Sioux Tribe
The action, which was organized by 350 D.C., took place on the lawn of Landrieu's Capitol Hill home one day before the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on the controversial Keystone pipeline. Landrieu's support for the pipeline has been pegged as a last-ditch attempt to win votes ahead of a tough runoff election in December.
The House of Representatives approved its companion bill on Friday.
Following that vote last week, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota issued a blistering response, charging that the tribe--a branch of the Lakota people--has yet to be properly consulted on the project, which would cross through its land.
"The House has now signed our death warrants and the death warrants of our children and grandchildren. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe will not allow this pipeline through our lands," said President Cyril Scott of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe over the weekend. "We are outraged at the lack of intergovernmental cooperation. We are a sovereign nation and we are not being treated as such. We will close our reservation borders to Keystone XL. Authorizing Keystone XL is an act of war against our people."
In anticipation of the Senate vote--and acknowledging that a presidential veto may soon be the only way to halt the pipeline--the organization Bold Nebraska is inviting supporters to send (for $3) a pen to President Barack Obama inscribed with the words: "This Machine Stops Pipelines. #NOKXL".
Watch a video of Monday's demonstration below:
NoKXL Rally Against Sen. LandrieuIn November 2014, Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana called for a vote on the Keystone XL Pipeline, despite being a Democrat ...
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Despite the rain, about 75 activists gathered outside the Washington, D.C. home of Senator Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) on Monday morning, protesting the Keystone XL pipeline she's thrown her full weight behind.
"Sen. Landrieu: if you're not a climate denier, don't vote like one," read one banner amidst a sea of "Vote No KXL" signs. Demonstrators included climate activists, local students, a farmer from Nebraska, and representatives of Native American communities. Protesters also brought along an inflatable black plastic pipeline.
"The House has now signed our death warrants and the death warrants of our children and grandchildren. Authorizing Keystone XL is an act of war against our people."
Cyril Scott, Rosebud Sioux Tribe
The action, which was organized by 350 D.C., took place on the lawn of Landrieu's Capitol Hill home one day before the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on the controversial Keystone pipeline. Landrieu's support for the pipeline has been pegged as a last-ditch attempt to win votes ahead of a tough runoff election in December.
The House of Representatives approved its companion bill on Friday.
Following that vote last week, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota issued a blistering response, charging that the tribe--a branch of the Lakota people--has yet to be properly consulted on the project, which would cross through its land.
"The House has now signed our death warrants and the death warrants of our children and grandchildren. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe will not allow this pipeline through our lands," said President Cyril Scott of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe over the weekend. "We are outraged at the lack of intergovernmental cooperation. We are a sovereign nation and we are not being treated as such. We will close our reservation borders to Keystone XL. Authorizing Keystone XL is an act of war against our people."
In anticipation of the Senate vote--and acknowledging that a presidential veto may soon be the only way to halt the pipeline--the organization Bold Nebraska is inviting supporters to send (for $3) a pen to President Barack Obama inscribed with the words: "This Machine Stops Pipelines. #NOKXL".
Watch a video of Monday's demonstration below:
NoKXL Rally Against Sen. LandrieuIn November 2014, Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana called for a vote on the Keystone XL Pipeline, despite being a Democrat ...
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Despite the rain, about 75 activists gathered outside the Washington, D.C. home of Senator Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) on Monday morning, protesting the Keystone XL pipeline she's thrown her full weight behind.
"Sen. Landrieu: if you're not a climate denier, don't vote like one," read one banner amidst a sea of "Vote No KXL" signs. Demonstrators included climate activists, local students, a farmer from Nebraska, and representatives of Native American communities. Protesters also brought along an inflatable black plastic pipeline.
"The House has now signed our death warrants and the death warrants of our children and grandchildren. Authorizing Keystone XL is an act of war against our people."
Cyril Scott, Rosebud Sioux Tribe
The action, which was organized by 350 D.C., took place on the lawn of Landrieu's Capitol Hill home one day before the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on the controversial Keystone pipeline. Landrieu's support for the pipeline has been pegged as a last-ditch attempt to win votes ahead of a tough runoff election in December.
The House of Representatives approved its companion bill on Friday.
Following that vote last week, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota issued a blistering response, charging that the tribe--a branch of the Lakota people--has yet to be properly consulted on the project, which would cross through its land.
"The House has now signed our death warrants and the death warrants of our children and grandchildren. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe will not allow this pipeline through our lands," said President Cyril Scott of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe over the weekend. "We are outraged at the lack of intergovernmental cooperation. We are a sovereign nation and we are not being treated as such. We will close our reservation borders to Keystone XL. Authorizing Keystone XL is an act of war against our people."
In anticipation of the Senate vote--and acknowledging that a presidential veto may soon be the only way to halt the pipeline--the organization Bold Nebraska is inviting supporters to send (for $3) a pen to President Barack Obama inscribed with the words: "This Machine Stops Pipelines. #NOKXL".
Watch a video of Monday's demonstration below:
NoKXL Rally Against Sen. LandrieuIn November 2014, Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana called for a vote on the Keystone XL Pipeline, despite being a Democrat ...
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