Saundra Wilson

The Republic | azcentral.com

"Water is life!" "Water is life!" "Water is life!" These were the chants heard in downtown Phoenix Friday evening as a group of young activists protested the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota.

The protesters were members of the Phoenix chapter of Earth Guardians, a national organization dedicated to environmental activism. Members of the student-led group said their goal was show solidarity and support for the Dakota Access pipeline protesters.

The pipeline, a 1,172-mile project, would connect production areas in North Dakota to Patoka, Ill. According to the project website, it will allow domestically produced crude oil from North Dakota to "reach major refining markets in a more direct, cost-effective, safer and environmentally responsible manner."

The Earth Guardian protesters say the project is destroying sacred Native land, destroying sacred sites and crosses through the Mississippi River, the sole water supply for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe.

The group marched throughout downtown Phoenix near Third and Van Buren streets, chanting and donning signs and banners.

Native communities and opponents of the project have been protesting nationwide for months. Several protests have been held in Arizona.

Q&A: The 4-state, $3.8 billion Dakota Access oil pipeline