Protests against the Dakota Access project
Demonstrators across U.S. cities will gather outside offices of the Army Corps of Engineers, banks and energy companies on Tuesday in the protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline since the U.S. government halted the project in September.
The $3.7 billion Dakota Access project has drawn steady opposition since last summer from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, along with environmental activists, who claim it could pollute nearby water supplies and destroy sacred historical sites.
Protesters against the idea took to the streets in Idaho Falls to have their voices heard. A group gathered holding signs that read “Water is Life” in front of the Department of Water Resources.
One supporter Ron Braman said, we have the right to say “no” to this project.
“Water is life, it means that we need to protect our water. Water is one of the main elements that is important to life. Our native people in North Dakota have said no and we need to protect their human rights,” Braman said.
The Army Corps and the Department of Interior on Monday delayed a decision on whether to grant an easement to Energy Transfer Partners, the main company behind the pipeline, for an easement to tunnel under Lake Oahe, the water source that is the focus of protests.
