By Erasmus Baxter
After months of protests and clashes, opponents of the Dakota Access Pipeline thought they had won a victory when the Army Corps of Engineers halted construction on the Dakota Access Pipeline, or DAPL, pending a review of its environmental impact.
However, on Janurary 24, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order clearing the way for construction on the pipeline to resume without an Environmental Impact Statement. Those fighting against the pipeline called for national protests and acts of civil disobedience in response.
The Bellingham #NoDAPL coalition held an emergency rally on Saturday, February 11. Protesters marched on to I-5 and held the freeway for approximately an hour. They called on city leaders to close their account with US Bank, a financial supporter of the pipeline, and for the federal government to respect indigenous sovereignty.
For more information about when Western Students blocked I-5 in 1970, check out this week’s WWU history column.
ABOVE: The protesters hold an emergency rally, blocking traffic on I-5 for about an hour. Photo by Erasmus Baxter // AS Review