On October 2, hundreds of people around the globe joined together to demand that Chase, Liberty Mutual, and other financial institutions stop backing the destructive tar sands sector and respect Indigenous rights. Activists took to the streets outside Chase branches, Liberty Mutual offices, and BlackRock buildings in Boston, NYC, Minnesota, San Francisco, Portland, London, and beyond, calling on these companies to #StopTheMoneyPipeline.
At the same time, more than five hundred people joined live for an online rally to hear directly from Indigenous and community leaders on the frontlines of resistance to tar sands extraction, pipeline, and refinery projects, including Nigel Robinson, Tara Houska, Nina Berglund, Kanahus Manuel, the Cheyenne River Grassroots Collective, and Lucy Molina. The rally also included nearly twenty actions that you can take from your home to pressure these financial giants.
Scroll down to see highlights from the day!
Highlights of speakers:
Support Indigenous Sovereignty by joining us to shut down the #TransMountain pipeline from crossing Unceded #Indigenous territories without consent! Tell @LibertyMutual to stop insuring the projects that violate Indigenous Rights! https://t.co/RyiaqZUGie pic.twitter.com/dAIUobXt0h
— Indigenous Environmental Network (@IENearth) October 2, 2020
Live from the Stop Funding Tar Sands — Digital Rally @zhaabowekwe calls for collective action to #StopLine3 https://t.co/pGbzwOKnki pic.twitter.com/jwJ35F5Agl
— Indigenous Environmental Network (@IENearth) October 2, 2020
#StopFundingTarSands — Digital Rally, happening now. We are taking collective action demanding @LibertyMutual stop insuring Tar Sands projects. You can tune in here! https://t.co/0RmrQdAtZx pic.twitter.com/USLTgswgYH
— Indigenous Environmental Network (@IENearth) October 2, 2020
WATCH
Nina Berglund, Lakota/Cheynne youth organizer with @earthguardianz drop knowledge on why @Chase Bank needs to be held accountable for supporting Line 3. #DefundTarSands #StopLine3!Follow & Support @GiniwCollective & @ResistLine3 pic.twitter.com/N3KrQyhByM
— Indigenous Environmental Network (@IENearth) October 2, 2020
As the climate crisis escalates, Indigenous women are demanding that financial institutions respect Indigenous Rights and end financing for Tar Sands, one of the most carbon-intensive fossil fuels on Earth. Over 40 Indigenous women leaders sent a letter to 70 major banks, insurers, and asset managers, calling for policies respecting Indigenous Rights, accelerating a just transition toward renewable, regenerative energy, and ending all support for dirty tar sands oil.
Indigenous peoples across the U.S. are already experiencing the devastating impacts of fossil fuel extraction, climate chaos, and the COVID-19 pandemic. With key financial decision points looming on the Keystone XL, Line 3, and Trans Mountain pipelines, moving forward with construction will only exacerbate the issues Indigenous communities already endure. This letter and the signatories are supported by 160 Indigenous rights, environmental, and social justice organizations.
Liberty Mutual: Insure Our Future!
The insurance industry understands the dangers of the climate crisis we’re in. They know this isn’t a future problem, because they’re paying for climate damages right now in communities across the country. But instead of protecting our communities, they’re increasing the costs of insurance or withdrawing coverage entirely from regions that are experiencing the worst climate impacts now, like the coasts of Florida and wildfire-ravaged counties in California.
We’re demanding that the nation’s top insurance companies phase out their support of fossil fuels, starting with coal and tar sands, two of the most carbon-intensive energy sources.
WATCH! Eva Blake, Assonet Wampanoag, philanthropic relations coordinator for @IENearth outside @LibertyMutual trying to deliver thousands of signatures demanding the company drop KXL & meet with Indigenous leaders! #StopFundingTarSands #NoKXL #NoTMX #Stopline3 pic.twitter.com/tgOEoLdIxp
— Indigenous Environmental Network (@IENearth) October 2, 2020
@LibertyMutual refused to accept the petition signed by 2500+ to drop Keystone and meet Indigenous leaders. The pipeline is an environmental disaster and a violation of Indigenous Peoples’ right to free, prior, and informed consent. #NoKXL #NoTMX #StoptheMoneyPipeline pic.twitter.com/O6Gy1Y7UxB
— Insure Our Future U.S. (@Insure_Future) October 2, 2020
We are here to stand in solidarity with tribal nations who have fought KXL for over 10 years! This pipeline violates treaty rights & sets stage for more #MMIW. We have had enough. @LibertyMutual meet tribal leaders & drop KXL!” – Eva Blake, Indigenous Environmental Network. pic.twitter.com/8dUaYlflbH
— Indigenous Environmental Network (@IENearth) October 2, 2020
Chase: Defund Climate Change!
We are demanding basic moral and financial responsibility from Chase. We demandChase to #DefundClimateChange, respect #IndigenousRights, and stop profiting off of climate chaos. It’s time to say NO MORE to Chase profiting off the climate emergency.
Breaking: 30 youth leaders blockade @Chase in St. Paul to demand it defund #tarsands, respect Indigenous rights, and #StopLine3 for nation day of action. pic.twitter.com/ry0Va4fINt
— Resist Line 3 (@ResistLine3) October 2, 2020
#StopFundingTarSands ACTION: Sign the @Suncor Petition
Sign the petition to tell JP Morgan @Chase to stop funding Suncor #TarSands Refinery, then share! https://t.co/Z5FqErMJZr#StoptheMoneyPipeline #cancerclusters #refineries #environmentalracism #oilandgas #petrochemicals pic.twitter.com/L1ODRCE254
— Stop the Money Pipeline (@StopMoneyPipe) October 2, 2020
Protest at JP Morgan Chase HQ @JPMorgan put $268 billion into fossil fuels from 2016-2016. The top bank funder of the climate crisis #StopFundingTarSands #StopTheMoneyPipeline pic.twitter.com/TacDs3P2nv
— New York Communities for Change (@nychange) October 2, 2020