February, 23 2017, 10:15am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Lindsay Meiman,Senior U.S. Communications Specialist,lindsay@350.org,us-comms@350.org,+1 347 460 9082,New York, USA
Indigenous Leaders to Call on Mayor de Blasio to #DefundDAPL
Opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline Grows as Trump Pushes its Completion
WASHINGTON
What: Leaders of Indigenous Nations and communities, backed by other groups opposing the Dakota Access pipeline, will call on Mayor de Blasio as well as Comptroller Stringer to end the City's business, contracts and pension fund investments with banks such as Wells Fargo, which are funding the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL).
Last week, the Mayor and Comptroller separately declared their opposition to the pipeline, which threatens the water for 17 million people and runs through sacred land of the Standing Rock Sioux as well as violates Treaty rights and Native sovereignty. The leaders and groups will praise the Mayor and Comptroller's public statements while urging the Mayor and Comptroller to take stronger, meaningful action similar to the City of Seattle, which recently ended its business with Wells Fargo over the bank's support for DAPL. NYC does business with six banks financing DAPL, including Wells Fargo.
As part of his earliest executive orders, Trump reversed the Obama Administration's decision to review the project's impacts before granting final permits, and declared his strong support for the destructive project.
When: Thursday, February 23rd at 12:30pm
Where: New York City Hall steps.
Who: Leaders from the Ramapough Lenape Nation, NYC American Indian Community House, American Indian Law Alliance, American Indian Law Alliance, backed by allies including a wide range of community, environmental and environmental justice organizations.
350 is building a future that's just, prosperous, equitable and safe from the effects of the climate crisis. We're an international movement of ordinary people working to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all.
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Wyden Says Spying Bill Would Force Americans to Become an 'Agent for Big Brother'
"If you have access to any communications, the government can force you to help it spy," said Sen. Ron Wyden.
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Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden took to the floor of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday to speak out against a chilling mass surveillance bill that lawmakers are working to rush through the upper chamber and send to President Joe Biden's desk by the end of the week.
The measure in question would reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) for two years and massively expand the federal government's warrantless surveillance power by requiring a wide range of businesses and individuals to cooperate with spying efforts.
"If you have access to any communications, the government can force you to help it spy," said Wyden (Ore.), referring to an amendment that was tacked on to the legislation by the U.S. House last week with bipartisan support. "That means anyone with access to a server, a wire, a cable box, a Wi-Fi router, a phone, or a computer. So think for a moment about the millions of Americans who work in buildings and offices in which communications are stored or pass through."
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Wyden's remarks came after the Senate narrowly approved a motion Tuesday to proceed to the FISA reauthorization bill ahead of Section 702's expiration at the end of the week. The Oregon senator, an outspoken privacy advocate, was among the seven members of the Democratic caucus who voted against the procedural motion.
Despite its grave implications for civil liberties, the bill has drawn relatively little vocal opposition in the Senate. A final vote could come as soon as Thursday.
Titled Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISAA), the legislation passed the Republican-controlled House last week after lawmakers voted down an amendment that would have added a search warrant requirement to Section 702.
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Privacy advocates warn RISAA would dramatically expand the scope of Section 702 by broadening the kinds of individuals and businesses required to participate in government spying. A key provision of the bill would mandate cooperation from "electronic communications service providers" such as Google, Verizon, and AT&T as well as "any other service provider who has access to equipment that is being or may be used" to transmit or store electronic communications.
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