Apr 3, 2017 - Solidarity Actions Against Dakota Access Pipeline Held in Europe

On March 30th, people in four European countries came together in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) for an online day of action targeting four banks invested in the DAPL: Deutsche Bank in Germany, Intesa San Paolo Bank in Italy, BBVA in Spain, and Credit Suisse in Switzerland.

This action comes on the heels of tribes, cities, and banks divesting from the DAPL. Just weeks before the action, the Sami people pushed Norway to divest state pension funds from DAPL.

This was only a day after the city of San Francisco announced its divestment plans. News of major divestments from the DAPL, as well as the companies funding DAPL, is breaking every day. This online day of action that placed pressure on European banks closed out a month that began with Native Nations Rise, where the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and other grassroots Indigenous leaders camped and marched on Washington, D.C.

Messages like, “@DeutscheBank! #EnvironmentalRacism and #TreatyViolations are not good investments. #DivestDAPL #NoDAPL” and “Hey @intesasanpaolo! The world is watching and wants you to #DivestDAPL. Don’t invest your money in a massive human rights violation!” took over the internet. Banks were targeted on Twitter, Facebook, their professional websites, and more.

Deutsche Bank, like many others banks, responded with a pale version of ‘we are not invested’ and links to a PR statement on their website declaring they do not support DAPL. We know however, that this not true. Deutsche Bank is a second-tier funder of DAPL, and is heavily invested in Sunoco Logistics Partner, Energy Transfer Equity, and Energy Transfer Partners.

Until they divest from these businesses and come up with a plan to better protect Indigenous sovereignty and end environmental racism while assessing past and future investments, we will not stop pressuring them to do so.

Wasser Ist Leben // Water is Life // Mni Wiconi

-Andrea Marcos, Wasser ist Leben Berlin