Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison Speech Disrupted by Water Protectors
St. Paul, MN – During a swearing-in ceremony of the new Dean and President Anthony Niedwiecki at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law on September 23, 2021, water protectors disrupted Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s keynote speech to gauge his support of Line 3.
As Ellison was getting into his keynote speech, a water protector interrupted by challenging Ellison’s stance on whether he really stands with “[his] First Nations brothers and sisters” as he stated at the 2015 Tar Sands Resistance March in St. Paul. The water protectors requested a statement by Ellison, after chanting “stop line 3” and displaying a banner that read “President Biden, Protect Our Children’s Future.” Ellison agreed to meet them outside to have a conversation, and that they would have to trust him on that.
Water Protector “Inno” challenging Keith Ellison’s stance, and others speaking with him afterwards
Jaike Spotted Wolf mentioned that tribal attorney Frank Bibeau has recently filed a federal lawsuit against the DNR for “unilaterally taking 5 billion gallons of water and giving it to Enbridge Line 3.“
The White Earth Band of Ojibwe’s main source of food is manoomin (wild rice), which grows on top of a main water source. The pipeline passes through more than 200 bodies of water and wetlands in Northern Minnesota, which risks contaminating the water that they draw nutrients from.
Related: Wild Rice 1855 Treaty Rights – 2015
Related: Resistance to Line 3 Pipeline Seeks to Save Sacred Manoomin – 2017
Unicorn Riot Line 3 Resistance Coverage
The action that took place inside Mitchell Hamline School of Law
While having a conversation with water protectors outside, Ellison was asked about topics such as #MMIW, human trafficking, and his stance on Line 3. The pipeline projects have a correlation with increased sex trafficking due to the temporary housing facilities or ‘man camps’ that come along with working on them. Ellison continued to comment on the water protectors tone of voice more so rather than addressing their questions directly.
Keith Ellison + Water Protectors Full Conversation
Yesterday (Oct. 7, 2021) Water Protectors confronted Amy Klobuchar
BREAKING:
Water protectors confronted @amyklobuchar, calling on her to #StopLine3.
She spent the evening mingling with millionaires at a $1000-per-plate fundraiser. But when approached by young people with the most to lose from climate change, she bolted. pic.twitter.com/NTRaQS5CfK
— Resist Line 3 (@ResistLine3) October 7, 2021
As of the writing of this article, Enbridge’s Line 3 is officially pumping oil and was put into service October 1, 2021. In response, Honor the Earth Executive Director Winona LaDuke said:
“Line 3 is a crime against the environment and indigenous rights, waters and lands, and it marks the end of the tar sands era – but not the end of the resistance to it, Enbridge has raced to build this line before the federal court has passed judgment on our appeals about the line, but the people have: We believe the most expensive tar sands oil pipeline ever built in the U.S. will be the last.”
Winona LaDuke
Winona LaDuke demands “an environmental impact statement before they put oil in that line, because we don’t trust them and you shouldn’t either.”
Pipeline resistance groups such as Camp Migizi—a water protectors’ camp in Cloquet, Minnesota—promise to continue the fight.
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Unicorn Riot's Line 3 Oil Pipeline Coverage:
- Landing Page for all Unicorn Riot Line 3 Resistance Coverage
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison Speech Disrupted by Water Protectors - October 8, 2021
- Over 50 Line 3 Pipeline Protesters Arrested Outside MN Governor’s Residence - September 22, 2021
- Police Break Up Ceremony and Indigenous-Led #StopLine3 Occupation - August 31, 2021
- Hundreds March from Governor Residence, Urge Chase Bank Defund Line 3 - August 31, 2021
- First Trial from Treaty People Gathering Ends in Acquittal - August 23, 2021
- Line 3 Opponent Sentenced to Thirty Days in Jail - August 19, 2021
- Enbridge Spills 10,000 Gallons of Line 3 Drilling Fluid - August 16, 2021
- Line 3 Fusion Center Data Declared Secret - August 4, 2021
- Judge Orders Sheriff to Halt Harassment of Line 3 Resistance Camp - July 24, 2021
- Water Protectors Occupy Work Sites and Lock Down to Line 3 Pipeline Construction - July 1, 2021
- Hubbard County Barricades Private Property, Imprisons Water Protectors - June 28, 2021
- Indigenous-Led Blockades Occupy Line 3 Pipeline Sites - June 10, 2021
- Rising Up to the Heat: ‘Treaty People Gathering’ Resists Line 3 Pipeline - June 7, 2021
- Activists Serve Denver Wells Fargo Eviction Notice - May 3, 2021
- Appealing Line 3 Pipeline: Supply and Demand at Root of Hearing - March 23, 2021
- Caravan Disrupts Line 3 Construction Routes, Carlton County Triggers Backlash - March 13, 2021
- Treaty Rights Asserted During Creation of White Earth Camp - March 13, 2021
- 70 Water Protectors Cited, 1 Arrested During Line 3 Commemorative Rally - March 4, 2021
- Bipod and Car Blockade Jam Up Line 3 Construction - March 2, 2021
- Three Lock Down Inside Line 3 Pipeline For 6+ Hours - Feb. 21, 2021
- Lockdown to Keep it in the Ground: Line 3 Resistance - Feb. 15, 2021
- Court of Appeals Denies Motion to Stop Line 3 - Feb. 3, 2021
- Opposition to Line 3 Mounts - Jan. 29, 2021
- Resistance to Line 3: Direct Actions Aim to Stop Construction - Jan. 11, 2021
- Enbridge Line 3 Construction Blocked by Activists in Northern Minnesota - Nov. 18, 2020
- Protests After Permits for Line 3 Oil Pipeline Approved - Nov. 17, 2020
- ‘No KKKops, No Pipelines’ Banner Dropped in Minneapolis - Oct. 6, 2020
- “Divest from Climate Change!” Chase Bank Branch Protested on Opening Day - Nov. 7, 2019
- March to Protect The Sacred on Indigenous People’s Day 2019 - Oct. 14, 2019
- Hundreds Rally in Opposition to Line 3 Tar Sands Pipeline in Minnesota - Sept. 28, 2019
- Direct Action in Minnesota as Line 3 Pipeline Approval Reversed - June 3, 2019
- Multi-Agency Task Force Prepares “Rules of Engagement” For Line 3 Protests - Feb. 11, 2019
- ‘Valve Turners’ Shut Down Enbridge Oil Pipelines in Minnesota - Feb. 4, 2019
- Arts, Culture, and Hip Hop Resist Line 3 as Lawsuits Against Approval Continue - Dec. 29, 2018
- Minnesota Police Train at Military Base as Line 3 Pipeline Protests Escalate - Oct. 25, 2018
- Judge Accepts Water Protectors’ Climate Change Necessity Defense - July 18, 2018
- Line 3 Oil Pipeline Approved By Minnesota Regulators - June 28, 2018
- As Line 3 Oil Pipeline Decision Looms, Indigenous Resistance Increases - June 26, 2018
- Interfaith Community Delivers Letter of Line 3 Opposition to Minnesota Government Offices - June 4, 2018
- Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Requests Line 3 Schedule Change - Jan. 10, 2018
- Rally Against Line 3 Minnesota Pipe Yards - Dec. 11, 2017
- Resistance to Line 3 Pipeline Seeks to Save Sacred Manoomin - Oct. 9, 2017
- Direct Action Ramps Up Resistance to Line 3 - Sept. 18, 2017
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