Hundreds of activists rallied and marched in downtown D.C. this December in a show of solidarity with Dakota Access Pipeline Water Protectors. (Photo by Julie Strupp)
Activists are planning a rally tonight in front of the White House to show their opposition to the construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.
This comes after President Donald Trump signed executive orders today that would revive those projects.
Former President Barack Obama rejected the Keystone XL Pipeline in November 2015, citing concerns about climate change. The Army Corps of Engineers halted construction on the Dakota Access Pipeline in early December 2016.
But those decisions were overturned with a flick of Trump’s pen, which now allows the White House to renegotiate the pipelines.
The rally is hosted by groups that include the Sierra Club, Indigenous Environmental Network, 350.org, CREDO Mobile, and others. Representatives of the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline in particular were visible at protests on Inauguration Day and at the Women’s March last weekend. Standing Rock protesters shut down one of the inauguration security checkpoints for hours on Friday.
“Stopping these projects will require action at home, in the halls of power, and in the path of each pipeline.” the Facebook invite reads. “That’s why taking action today is so key—we need to show our opposition now, and get ready for the long haul.”
Protesters are meeting at Lafayette Square at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
Rachel Kurzius