Activists opposing the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline held a rally at the National Mall in Washington, DC to show their support for Native Americans from the Standing Rock Indian reservation in their battle to save their water supply.
Crowds of people who took part in Saturday’s Washington rally were advised to gather near the Capitol Reflecting Pool opposite the Capitol Building. From there, protesters marched to the headquarters of the US Environmental Protection Agency on Pennsylvania Avenue.
People waved flags and banners reading “Water is Life!,” “Veterans Stand with Standing Rock,” “Stop Letting Corporations Poison our Water,” and “When did We the People become We the Corporations?”
In a Facebook post, organisers of the ‘Standing Rock & Beyond’ march indicated that they welcomed the decision to revoke drilling permission. However, they added that the fight to protect indigenous rights and the environment is “far from over”.
The rally has been organised to coincide with UN Human Rights Day.
READ MORE: DAPL protesters proclaim victory as pipeline forced to change route – statement
Plans for the crude oil pipeline were thrown into a tailspin earlier this month when the US Army Corps of Engineers announced it would not be giving permission for drilling to take place under Lake Oahe.
Tribal leaders in North Dakota have fervently opposed the 1,172 mile pipeline over fears that it could impact local water supplies and threaten historically spiritual locations for Native Americans.
READ MORE: ‘Clearly not over’: Dakota Access Pipeline saga goes to court in 2017
The saga now looks set to play out in the courts, with Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the project, expected to file a motion with a US District Court in Washington next year.
The company has until the beginning of January 2017 to put forward its argument for completing the pipeline under the lake on the Missouri River. Energy Transfer Partners claim they stand to lose up to $20 million every week the pipeline remains unoperational.