First things first:
The date and time for the big Reject and Protect action is now Saturday April 26th at 11 AM, meeting on the National Mall between 7th and 9th Streets.
We had to move the date because of a permitting conflict that the Parks Department failed to notify us of until this week. (They forgot about a big half-marathon happening on the same day) But that’s not going to stop us: there’s an amazing event planned.
Here’s what’s happening on Saturday:
4 days after the Cowboy Indian Alliance tipis first go up on the Mall, we’ll gather at 11 AM on Saturday the 26th at the encampment to make our closing argument against the pipeline. As we gather, everyone there will be asked to make their thumbprint mark on a tipi. Then we’ll hear from the farmers, ranchers, tribal leaders and refinery community members who will be directly impacted by Keystone XL and the tar sands — and who have pledged to lead the resistance should it be approved.
Then, those leaders will carry our painted tipi to present to President Obama, with thousands of people standing behind them. This tipi will represent our hope that he will reject the pipeline, and our promise that we will protect our land, water and climate if he chooses to let the pipeline move forward.
Once the tipi is delivered, we’ll return to the encampment in song and make our pledge to continue resistance to the pipeline should it be approved.
The next day, there will be an interfaith ceremony to close the camp. The moral argument for action could not be clearer, with our future on the line.
If you have questions about the event or the change of plans, check out the FAQ page here, but also feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
That’s the key update for now. There will be more soon.
Really looking forward to this one.
Rae