Hundreds gather in solidarity for Standing Rock

A group of Sudburians numbering in the hundreds held a display of peace and friendship to show support and solidarity for the land defenders and water protectors at Standing Rock. Photo: Matt Durnan

1 / 1 A group of Sudburians numbering in the hundreds held a display of peace and friendship to show support and solidarity for the land defenders and water protectors at Standing Rock. Photo: Matt Durnan

A group of Sudburians numbering in the hundreds held a display of peace and friendship Nov. 3to show support and solidarity for the land defenders and water protectors at Standing Rock.

For the past few months, demonstrators have occupied land along the path of the Dakota Access Pipeline, staging prayer ceremonies.

Their latest action to defend the Missouri River occurred near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation.

"We need to stand up for these and all land defenders and water protectors being persecuted because they are at the service of Mother Earth and ultimately, all of us," said a post on the Sudbury group's Facebook event page.

Sudburians gathered at the Downtown Market site on Elgin Street for an hour before making their way up the Bridge of Nations.

The Native American protests against the Dakota Access pipeline have become an international rallying cry for indigenous rights and climate change activism, drawing thousands to the rural area of Cannon Ball, North Dakota.

The pipeline, which crosses four states, would transport up to 570,000 barrels of fracked crude oil daily, 92 feet below the Missouri River.

The local Standing Rock Sioux tribe and thousands of Native American supporters from across North America have set up camps in Cannon Ball to try and block the oil project

The oil pipeline is now approaching the river that the Standing Rock Sioux tribe fears it will contaminate. Demonstrators opposed to this plan have been pepper-sprayed, shot at with rubber bullets and faced arrest.

For more information on the group opposed to this pipeline, visit standwithstandingrock.net.