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‘We will not back down! We will stop Line 3,’ says indigenous youth leader

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Editor’s note:  The People’s Tribune transcribed these words spoken by Silas Neeland at the People vs. Fossil Fuels protests from a youtube video produced by Julie Dermansky. The youtube video is at this link: https://www.desmog.com/2021/10/12/indigenous-leaders-deliver-petitions-to-army-corps-dc-headquarters-after-155-activists-arrested-at-the-white-house/

Silas Neeland
Video Still.
Video by Julie Dermansky

“I am Silas Neeland from the White Earth Reservation where my homeland is being raped by a pipeline called Line 3. And as we fought this pipeline, Pennington County used rubber bullets and mace on my colleague, Tara Houska and her crew . . . [this is] the same county that ripped a girl’s shirt off for trying to protect the water. So I come here to tell President Biden he needs to shut this [pipeline] down and to stop oppressing our people. And guess what he does? Nothing! He sent these people to traumatize us [Silas turns to look at the police]. I saw what happened yesterday [More than 150 people were arrested.] I am sick of it!  Everybody say: ‘We will not back down to these police. We will not back down to these police. We will not back down. We will stop Line 3!’”

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