Andy Davis

aldavis@press-citizen.com

Iowa City protesters standing with the Standing Rock Sioux Nation against the Dakota Access Pipeline made stops to U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo and the offices of U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack on Wednesday, urging divestment from the financial institutions the same day officials arrested and evicted people from North Dakota camps created to help stop the pipeline's construction.

About 20 protesters, among them members of the Mississippi Stand Solidarity Network, 100 Grannies for a Livable Future and the founder and co-chair of Indigenous Iowa, delivered letters to the banks and called on Loebsack to express his stance on the pipeline.

"We want to hear the banks and Loebsack weigh in on the pipeline. And given the 2 p.m. eviction deadline for protesters out in Standing Rock, we want to raise awareness and share our concerns about the violence happening against the protesters out in Standing Rock," said Aaron Silander, a member of both 100 Grannies and Mississippi Stand Solidarity Network.

RELATED:Police start arresting Dakota Pipeline protesters as camp deadline passes

The group's first stop was at Loebsack's office, located in the Plaza Centre One building at the pedestrian mall, where they read a letter they also delivered to employees at U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo.

The letter, in part, said the pipeline poses a threat to the Standing Rock Sioux Nation's access to safe, clean water and, as a whole, and contributes to what the group called "climate chaos."

Rachael Snyder, a case worker at Loebsack's office, told the group she could not speak on behalf of the congressman, who was traveling around the state Wednesday. Joe Hand, Loebsack's spokesman, said in an email that the congressman has an open-door policy and welcomes thoughts from all constituents.

"Congressman Loebsack always appreciates hearing from Iowans on any issue that is important to them," Hand said via email, later explaining Loebsack's stance. "Last year, Dave was encouraged by the Army Corps move to complete an additional environmental review before they moved forward on the Dakota Access Pipeline. He is very disappointed that President Trump has decided to abandon this important environmental review."

President Donald Trump took executive action last month that approved the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines, reversing former President Barack Obama's administration's directives and allowing construction to resume. Late last month, after Trump's action, the acting secretary of the Army ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to allow construction of the Dakota Access pipeline under a Missouri River reservoir, something The Standing Rock Sioux Nation and other protesters have been working to prevent for the past six months.

When protesters visited downtown U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo locations to read the letter, employees at both banks contacted the police, but no arrests were made.

Silander, who during the Iowa City Council's Tuesday meeting urged the city to divest from U.S. Bank, said divestment is the best tool municipalities and individuals can use to protest the banks' financial role in funding the pipeline.

"This also goes far beyond divestment," said Christine Nobiss, founder and co-chair of Indigenous Iowa, a group formed out of the No Dakota Access Pipeline movement. "Now is the time to organize. It's not just about divesting from these institutions, it's also about when we go to the store thinking about what we buy and where that money ends up. It's about thinking from a different perspective and finding new and better ways to take down conglomerates."

The groups ended their route at the Burlington Street pedestrian bridge, at the corner of Burlington Street and Riverside Drive, where they hung signs demanding "Clean Energy Now" and displaying an off-kilter American flag.

"We wanted to make a bold statement to show that this country is in distress, and we felt that the upside-down flag would best represent that message," said 100 Grannies member Linda Quinn.

Silander and other speakers at Tuesday's council meeting praised the city's decision to lower its investments in Wells Fargo. Iowa City's finance director, Dennis Bockenstedt, on Wednesday said between the council's Feb. 7 and Tuesday's meeting, the city decided to lower its investment in Wells Fargo. Instead of investments ranging to $15 million, as last reported by City Manager Geoff Fruin, the city has trimmed that down to $1.1 million, Bockenstedt said. He said the reduction had been planned well before the demonstrations.

Bockenstedt and Fruin reiterated Wednesday that the city's decision to lower its investment was based purely on performance and better returns on investment elsewhere, not on the pipeline.

The city has about $10 million worth of investments at U.S. Bank, Bockenstedt said.

"We still intend to keep our relationship with Wells Fargo and based on performance of funds, we could choose to invest back with them at a larger scale at some point in the future," Fruin said, adding that the council has not indicated it will discuss its investments in U.S. Bank. "Because they have not given us specific direction at this point does not mean they may not revisit it in the future. We have our own financial pressures and continue to evaluate the return opportunities that are out there at various institutions."

Reach Andy Davis at 319-887-5404 or at aldavis@press-citizen.com, and follow him on Twitter as @BylineAndyDavis.