The same protest which has resulted in arrests, attacks, and warrants being issued to protesters and press alike has been honored by a visit from Senator Bernie Sanders.
Sanders made an appearance at the No Dakota Access Pipeline protest in front of the White House on Tuesday evening, addressing the crowd and calling for an end to not just the pipeline, but the exploitation of Native Americans nationwide.
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The protest Sanders joined is an offshoot of the original protest being hosted at the site of the planned pipeline, but while he wasn’t in the scene of the crime, his words spread across the nation.
Said Sanders:
“I am calling on President Obama today to ensure that this pipeline gets a full environmental and cultural impact analysis. And in my view when that analysis takes place this pipeline will not continue.”
Sanders’ comments are important in this regard because while the president has called for a halt on the pipeline until inquiries can be made, many are concerned that a full analysis will not be conducted and therefore, the pipeline will be allowed to continue unimpeded.
Sanders also expressed his admiration for the Native American people, saying that while the rest of the world may have forgotten about our close relationship with the Earth, tribes all over the United States and South America have never forgotten.
“If there is one profound lesson that the Native American people have taught us is that all of us as human beings are a part of Nature and our species as human beings will not survive if we continue to destroy nature.”
With the new signal boost from the popular former presidential candidate, we can only hope that the president finally listens to the pleas of the protesters, and puts an end to the pipeline.
