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Climate activists forcibly removed from American Petroleum Institute-sponsored Politico energy event at DNC in Philadelphia
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Climate activists forcibly removed from American Petroleum Institute-sponsored Politico energy event at DNC in Philadelphia
More than a dozen activists were forcibly removed from the event after openly criticizing the fossil fuel industry
Contact: Jeremy Nichols, (303) 437-7663, jnichols@wildearthguardians.org
Additional Contacts:
Desiree Kane, 303-802-0706
Anthony Rogers-Wright,631-402-7855
Today environmental activists, Indigenous youth, and otherconcerned citizens disrupted a Politico event sponsored the American PetroleumInstitute, the leading American trade group of the fossil fuel industry. Theevent, “Energy and the Election at the DNC”, featured prominentDemocratic lawmakers and energy advisors including, Gov. John Hickenlooper(D-CO), Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA), Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA), Ed Rendell, formerPA Gov., Trevor Houser, Hillary For America Energy Policy Advisor, and HeatherZichal, former Obama climate official.
More than a dozen activists were forcibly removed from theevent after openly criticizing the fossil fuel industry and entrenchedpolitical leaders. Additionally, activists dropped a 400-sq-foot banner fromthe building across the street, and picketed the entrance to the event as itbegan.
Activists expressed deep concern that API-sponsored energyevents at the DNC are still acceptable platforms for Democrats to attend,despite the oil and gas industry’s long history of climate denial and “dirtyenergy money” campaign donations. Over the last decade API has directly donatednearly $150,000 to Democrats, and its member corporations have donated manymillions more. Inside the Politico event, advocates demanded the DemocraticParty follow through on its climate commitments and take immediate steps tokeep fossil fuels in the ground instead of blindly catering to oil and gasindustry executives.
Frontline Indigenous youth who were present also expresseddeep concern that many of the featured speakers have close ties with the fossilfuel industry that is polluting their air, water and threatening their way oflife. Said Krystal Two Bulls of the Oglala Lakota/Northern Cheyenne, “Thefossil fuel industry and the politicians who cater to it are responsible for devastatingIndigenous communities across the country. For too long, our voices have beenthe target for silencing for the greed, consumption, and power of the colonialsettler society. We’ve come to Philadelphia to be silent no more.”
Sheldon Tenorio of Kewa Pueblo added, “The fossil fuelindustry isn’t accountable to communities like mine that are exploited forshort term profit and left scarred forever. They can’t ignore our voices, evenfrom fancy luncheon events in skyscrapers.”
“The story of the struggle of Colorado, particularly in myhome, Weld County—the most fracked county in the nation—is that we havebeen trampled by the fossil fuel industry. There’s a chokehold on our state,but also a huge effort to take confront it and fight back. The people are readyand we are taking on the good fight. That’s why we’re here,” Mickey San Miguelsaid.
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QUOTES
“The story of the struggle of Colorado, particularly in myhome, Weld County—the most fracked county in the nation—is that we havebeen used and trampled by the fossil fuel industry. There’s a chokehold on ourstate, but also a huge effort to take confront it and fight back. The peopleare ready and we are taking on the good fight. That’s why we’re here.”
– Mickey San Miguel, Weld County, CO resident impacted byfracking, valdemar.sanmiguel@gmail.com, 616-295-1267
“The fossil fuel industry and the politicians who cater toit are responsible for devastating Indigenous communities across the countryand ravaging our public lands. For too long, our voices have been the targetfor silencing for the greed, consumption, and power of the colonial settlersociety. We’ve come to Philadelphia to be silent no more and demand thepillaging of our mother earth stop now.”
– Krystal Two Bulls of the Oglala Lakota/Northern Cheyenne,krystal.twobulls@gmail.com, 406-740-1508
“How can you commit environmental genocide? Culturalgenocide, corporations are
raping our mother. How would you feel if someone raped yourmother? With the time that I have, with the ears that are tuned in, I’d like toask you this: What will you celebrate — will you celebrate the continuedgenocide of our people, of the land, the natural resources, cultures, and ourways of life, or will you celebrate the gifts of our mother, our languages, ourland and our clean water? What will you hand down to your children? What areyou handing down to their children?”
– Sheldon Tenorio of the Kewa Pueblo,mcrhetorik505@gmail.com, 406-740-0177
“It’s time for a culture of accountability. Democrats needto go beyond paying lip service to the climate threat while still supportingthe policies that exacerbate it. Gov. Hickenlooper actually sued municipalitiesin Colorado for banning the extreme and environmentally racist practice offracking.” He added, “fracking is a profound demonstration of oppression, slowviolence and genocide. It has to stop and we will hold any politician and theirenergy advisors accountable for pushing a poisonous practice that is takinglives, breaking sovereign treaties and pillaging freshwater from those who needit the most. The debate is over, natural gas is not a source of clean energy,and when Democrats push fracking, they themselves are behaving like bonafideclimate deniers.”
– Anthony Rogers-Wright, Policy Director at EnvironmentalAction, anthonyrogerswright@gmail.com, 631-402-7855
“The science of fracking is very clear: between toxicchemicals used in extremely high quantities along with the chronic failure offracked infrastructure, which leads to threats of contamination, it’s clearthat fracking can’t be made safe. By polluting the Democratic party with theirtoxic dollars, the gas frackers are purchasing our energy policy and, thereby,sacrificing communities, and endangering the lives of innocent citizens while poisoningour air, water, food, and climate.”
– David Braun, co-founder of Americans Against Fracking,thedavidbraun@gmail.com, 917-514-0700
“This event is no different than imagining theDemocratic Party attending an event on Smoking and Children’s Health sponsoredby Big Tobacco companies. Now we better understand why President Obama hasleased more than ten million acres of public lands to oil and gas companies andnever bothered to analyze the climate impacts. It’s obvious today that peopleare fed up and demanding our elected officials cut political and fundraisingties with an industry directly responsible for destroying communities and ourchildren’s future.”
– Rebecca Sobel, Senior Campaigner at WildEarth Guardians,rsobel@wildearthguardians.org, 267-402-0724
“In 2016, it is unacceptable for Democrats to belegitimizing a fossil fuel industry-sponsored energy event. Fossil fuels arethe energy of the past – politicians must stop taking oil-drencheddonations from the industry and must work to keep fossil fuels in the ground.Support for expansion of fracking and natural gas is completely at odds withthe climate targets agreed to in Paris, and with a just transition to cleanenergy.”
– Collin Rees, Campaigner at Oil Change USA,collinrees@gmail.com, 308-293-3159
“We cannot answer the climate crisis without ending thepower of Big Oil money in our democracy. Polluter cash has no place at theDemocratic National Convention.”
– Lukas Ross, spokesperson at Friends of the EarthAction, lross@foe.org, 845-741-5639
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