Grassroots Leaders and Frontline Community Members March to Kelcy Warren’s home, the CEO of Energy Transfer Partners (ETP)
#STOPETP a national coalition of frontline communities, environmental justice and Indigenous rights groups hold a rally and march to launch a campaign against Energy Transfer Parters.
Dallas, TX — On Friday, September 8th, 2017, the #STOPETP coalition rallied at the headquarters of Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), the parent company of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The rally featured speakers who traveled from the Dakotas, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and other communities who are impacted by ETP’s pipelines. Following the rally, organizers of the event led a march to Kelcy Warren’s home, the CEO of ETP. Community members and activists directed their concerns to Warren as they believe he is responsible for the many violations committed during the construction and operation of his company’s pipelines. In addition, ETP is also responsible for using illegal counterterrorist tactics on Indigenous Peoples and their allies during the Standing Rock movement.
The coalition is launching #STOPETP to hold the company accountable and to call on citizens, local governments, and banks to end their business and support of Energy Transfer Partners.
On September 9th, while solidarity actions took place across the country, the delegation who rallied at the ETP headquarters, rallied at banks like Wells Fargo and Chase Bank in Dallas.
PARTICIPANT QUOTES:
“Kelcy Warren wants to force his pipelines through our homes, so we brought the resistance to his home. We are the first peoples of this land and we will not yield, we will stand.” — Cherri Foytlin, State Director, BOLD Louisiana.
“Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) has consistently ignored and circumvented Indigenous rights, human rights, and treaty law. Stopping ETP will not only protect Indigenous communities but will also protect countless American citizens as their projects threaten drinking water for millions of people. In addition, as we see communities across the nation suffer from extreme weather and climate change, we can no longer afford to have ETP transport dirty oil across the country. Their projects have violated construction regulations, pipelines like DAPL and Rover Pipeline have already leaked and their partnership with the security firm TigerSwan has proven that they are willing to engage in illegal tactics to further their profits. The time is now to say no to ETP, in addition to people joining this movement, we need banks and local governments to join as well. We want a healthy future for all and that means holding ETP accountable and not allowing their company into our communities.” — Joye Braun, Cheyenne River Frontline Organizer, Indigenous Environmental Network
“Kelcey Warren, you didn’t consider our thoughts for these pipelines, you didn’t listen to our concerns, you didn’t ask for permission to come into our backyards, into our ancestral territories, you didn’t ask if you could put pipelines under our rivers and through our wetlands that provide life for us. So we have decided to walk to your home and show your neighbors what kind of person you are. Its our way of saying, we will not be intimidated by you or your dirty company.” — Frankie Orona, Director, Society of Native Nations
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