Indigenous-led climate activists occupy the WA State Capitol to demand that the Governor declare a Climate Emergency
Early this morning, Indigenous-led Protectors of the Salish Sea occupied the WA State Capitol with structures and their bodies to call upon Governor Jay Inslee to declare a Climate Emergency and use his executive power to terminate all current and future fossil fuel expansion projects in the state of Washington.
The Protectors of the Salish Sea have maintained a daily presence at Capitol since Tuesday September 24th, after walking 46 miles from the Tacoma Liquefied Natural Gas construction site and despite being forcibly removed by over 70 riot police that night.
Over 11,000 scientists have declared a Global Climate Emergency, as well as the entire Federation of Alaska Tribes.
Meanwhile, Washington State continues upon a path of illegal climate system degradation by expanding fossil fuels and likewise breaking all of the treaties with Washington State Tribes by contributing to climate chaos that is causing the shallowing and warming of our rivers and estuaries which in turn is causing salmon populations to go into shock and die.
Photos by Frank Hopper
Governor Jay Inslee has a responsibility to uphold the supreme law of the land laid out in the treaties between the US government, US citizens and Washington Treaty Tribes by deescalating the largest existential threat to all life- our current Climate Emergency, which is resulting in the genocide of indigenous peoples around the globe.
The Protectors are demanding that he call an immediate moratorium on all fossil fuel expansion projects in the state and immediately convene a special legislative session on climate emergency. By doing so, Inslee will prove that he truly honors treaty agreements by helping to secure a livable future for all children in Washington State, including his own.
Location: Washington State Capitol Building, 416 Sid Snyder Ave SW, Olympia, Washington
Contact: Paul Chiyokten Wagner, 206-434-5229, protectorsofthesalishsea@gmail.com
Updates: https://www.facebook.com/events/488657071812773