Coached on by a chant of "Who stands with Standing Rock?," at least 1,500 demonstrators marched in downtown Los Angeles Sunday protesting against President Donald Trump's executive order fast-tracking the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines.
The sizable crowd made its way from Pershing Square to the Edward Royball Federal Building after gathering at 10 a.m.
"I understand why my people were nearly pushed to extinction," said one demonstrator at the protest in front of the federal building.
Protesters gathered at Pershing Square at 6th and Hill streets, then marched to the Edward Roybal Federal Building at Hill and Temple streets for an 11:30 a.m. rally, said Karen Pomer of Labor for Standing Rock.
"But it's not just about a pipeline. It's about tribal sovereignty, it's about the desecration of sacred sites," said GrayWolf/Walter Ruiz, the director of the American Indian Movement Southern California. "It's about a lot of things. It's about self-determination from people and what's happening is non-indigenous people are starting to learn these issues affect everybody."
A pipeline made of black paper mache, with "No More Dirty Oil" written in white letters, was carried through the streets, accompanied by signs that said "Water is Life" and "Water is greater than oil."
The president's executive order cited the need for energy independence to construct the pipelines, which will link coal sands extraction fields in Alberta, Canada with refiners and export terminals on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
