Hundreds take to Market Street to protest Dakota Access Pipeline

Hundreds of people protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline surged onto San Francisco’s Market Street on Tuesday, blocking traffic on the major city artery for two hours, while calling for an end to the planned 1,172-mile crude oil conduit they see as a potential disaster for sacred American Indian land.

Holding signs reading “Water is life” and “We are here to protect,” the group formed a circle in Civic Center Plaza and burned sage in a peaceful sunrise prayer service before hitting the streets.

“We want to all come together and open our eyes and hearts. We need to talk to the corporations and open their eyes and hearts,” Isabella Azizi, a Richmond resident who helped organize the protest, told the crowd over a loudspeaker outside City Hall.

Hundreds of protesters marched on Market Street in San Francisco on Tuesday morning for a sunrise protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Hundreds of protesters marched on Market Street in San Francisco on Tuesday morning for a sunrise protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Photo: Evan Sernoffsky / The Chronicle Photo: Evan Sernoffsky / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 25 Caption Close Hundreds take to Market Street to protest Dakota Access Pipeline 1 / 25 Back to Gallery

Just before 9 a.m., the demonstrators began marching up Market Street, blocking traffic in both directions as they headed to the Army Corps of Engineers offices on Market Street, between 10th and 11th streets. Once there, they locked arms and blocked all the building’s entrances.

San Francisco police officers stood by, blocked traffic and facilitated the march. There were no reports of arrests.

Around 11 a.m., the protesters marched back to Civic Center Plaza, where they said a final prayer and sang an American Indian song before ending the demonstration.

Once the protesters cleared out, police reopened Market Street in both directions.

The $3.7 billion Dakota Access Pipeline was approved in July by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The 30-inch diameter pipeline would run through North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Iowa and Illinois.

Energy Access Partners, developer of the pipeline, says the project would tap into 7.4 billion barrels of crude oil and make the United States less dependent on foreign oil.

But the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe sued the Army Corps, saying the project “threatens the Tribe’s environmental and economic well-being and would damage and destroy sites of great historic, religious and cultural significance to the Tribe.”

Law enforcement in North Dakota last month tried to force demonstrators out of locations in Standing Rock, deploying pepper spray and nonlethal rounds while arresting 142 protesters.

Violent images and videos of the clashes have spread online and through social media, increasing support and awareness for the issue.

The San Francisco protest was part of a nationwide day of action, in which more than 200 demonstrations took place across the country.

“We want to stop the fossil fuel industry,” Azizi said. “No more taking the oil out of the ground. It wants to stay in Mother Earth.”

During the demonstration, musician Michael Franti surprised the protesters by giving an impromptu acoustic performance.

“I believe in indigenous sovereignty and renewable energy for the future. In order for us to achieve that, we have to invest in renewable energy today,” Franti told The Chronicle. “The pipeline is the opposite of that.”

Protester Judy Grether, 73, said it was important for people to take a stand against the pipeline, particularly in the wake of Donald Trump’s election as president of the United States.

“Trump being elected makes it all the more urgent. It’s scary,” Grether said. “He could do in our planet.”

San Francisco resident Charlie Ballard, 42, said he visited the Standing Rock reservation in September.

“As a native person, I felt the calling to come protect the water,” Ballard said. “If the pipeline breaks, it could poison the drinking water for millions. People don’t understand how serious this is.”

Hartman Deetz, one of the organizers of the protest, added, “This is just the beginning of the fight.”

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky