Dear friends —
When we started our campaign to stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, we knew the odds were long.
We knew that oil companies had a stranglehold on the political process, that the other side had more lobbyists and money than we could ever dream of. We knew that most analysts and pundits considered the approval of the pipeline to be a foregone conclusion. In short, we knew that we might well lose this fight — and we knew that we had to fight it anyway.
The campaign to stop the tar sands pipeline is now coming down to the wire — President Obama has said that he will make a decision on the pipeline before the year is out. So we’re planning something audacious on November 6th, exactly one year before the election. On that autumn day, thousands of people will converge on Washington DC to try something completely new.
Bill McKibben recorded a two-minute video to explain the gameplan:
Here’s the gist of Bill’s video: in this campaign we’ve tried civil disobedience, we’ve tried petitions, and we’ve tried to voice our opinions at State Department hearings. Those efforts are adding up, and we’re starting to break through to President Obama. But to win, we need to try something a bit different and take our actions to a new level.
So, on November 6th, we’re gathering a massive crowd of people to completely circle the White House. This action will be completely legal, we’re not planning on anyone getting arrested, but it will be just as powerful as the sit-in that happened this August. As we encircle the White House, we’ll be carrying signs with quotes from President Obama himself, words like, “We must be the generation that ends the tyranny of oil.” It will be a powerful demonstration and a symbol of hope, as well as a strong reminder that the White House belongs to the people, not Big Oil.
Can you join us in DC on November 6 to take a bold stand against the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline?
Count me in — I can join in DC on November 6th!
I can’t make it to DC, but I’ll help support it however I can.
Last week I reported on my experiences at #OccupyWallStreet in New York City, which is growing in both size and scope as occupations spring up around the country and now around the world. However these occupations turn out, they have taught us all the power of being bold, trying new things, and putting ourselves on the line to protect our future.
That’s what we’ll be doing in Washington DC on November 6th — and we’ll need all the help we can get to make it happen.
Onwards,
Phil Aroneanu for the 350.org Team
P.S. Even if you can’t make it to DC, maybe you can get a few friends to join the circle? Invite them along with just a couple clicks on Facebook and Twitter.
MORE INFO
“Keystone XL pipeline becomes a political headache for White House” – The Washington Post
“Obama’s Pipeline Mess – how the plan to transport oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast reeks of cronyism” – Naomi Klein and Bill McKibben The Daily Beast
Occupy Together – An unofficial hub for occupations around the country and the world
October15 – A global day of action loosely affiliated with the #Occupy movement