Idle No More SF Bay and the Indigenous Environmental Network will organize a non-violent direct action and paint a live mural protesting corporate greenwashing by Wells Fargo in front of the Wells Fargo Bank in the financial district of San Francisco on Saturday, February 24. The event will run from 10am – 12pm, at 420 Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA, 94104.
Speakers at the action will include: Isabella Zizi, Idle No More SF Bay Area; Daniel Illario, Idle No More SF Bay Area; Joye Braun, Indigenous Environmental Network; and Joseph White Eyes, Indigenous Environmental Network.
The participants will paint a 50 ft. live mural on the street. The event, which hundreds are expected to attend, will feature colorful banners and street theater.
In December, 2017, Wells Fargo announced a $50 million grant to Native Americans for renewable energy and clean water programs, cultural awareness and language preservation projects, among other things.
At around the same time, Wells Fargo agreed to extend two credit facilities totaling $1.5 billion for Canadian oil corporation, TransCanada, to build the Keystone XL pipeline, according to the organizers. Many Native American communities have been directly impacted by fossil fuel development, extraction, and transportation.
Organizers of the non-violent direct action are accusing Wells Fargo of greenwashing their investments in extreme fossil fuel extraction and infrastructure.
“The $50 Million in grants Wells Fargo is offering Native people in the U.S. is nothing more than an attempt to green wash their bankrolling of projects that violate Indigenous sovereignty, desecrate sacred sites, and poison the land and water we all need to live,” said, Daniel Ilario, Idle No More SF Bay. “Although Wells Fargo states that, ‘Climate change represents one of the greatest challenges of our time’, the billions they continue investing in extreme fossil fuel extraction and infrastructure reveal their true colors. Wells Fargo’s CEO Timothy J. Sloan, the board of directors, and investors value short term profit over life on Mother Earth.”
“We have had enough of Wells Fargo trying to bribe native communities with their dirty money,” – said Isabella Zizi, also from Idle No More SF Bay. “We demand they break their financial ties with fossil fuel infrastructure and tar sands expansions by divesting immediately. Until that day finally comes, we urge our Alaskan native and Native American communities to not accept this $50 million grant until we get a response from them by the time their shareholders meeting approaches in late April 2018.“
“The grants that Wells Fargo are offering to Indigenous communities are nothing but deception and a marketing strategy to trick the public in believing the company is doing good,” said Joye Braun, Indigenous Environmental Network. “Yes, Indigenous communities could benefit from these resources, but we also need clean water, air, and land.Wells Fargo’s invests in pipelines, such as Keystone XL, puts all of that at risk and contributes to climate change. Rather than giving credit lines to TransCanada, imagine if 1.5 billion dollars was invested in renewable energy.”
Media Contact: Jade Begay, Indigenous Environmental Network, jade@ienearth.org
While in Bonn, Germany for the international climate talks, COP 23, Ilario, Ziti and other indigenous and climate justice advocates disrupted California Governor Jerry Brown’s keynote speech, yelling “Keep It In the Ground” and other chants.
They were referring to the governor’s strong support of fracking, both offshore and on land in California, and cap-and-trade policies that could prove catastrophic to the Huni Kui People of Acre, Brazil and other indigenous communities around the globe.
Ilario was leading chants in the first group, carrying a banner when they marched into the room. He was on a delegation with “It Takes Roots,” a national multiracial alliance of alliances, led by women, gender oppressed people of color and Indigenous Peoples on the frontlines of racial, housing and climate justice across the US and Canada.
The chant went:
“Governor Brown. Still in for what?
Northern California refineries expand pollution.
Carbon trading, a false solution.
Keep it in the ground.
We are here to shut it down."
Obviously surprised as Ilario and others disrupted his speech, Brown stated, "I wish we could have no pollution, but we have to have our automobiles.”
"In the ground, I agree with you,” Brown said. “In the ground. Let’s put you in the ground so we can get on with the show here.”
“This is very California. Thanks for bringing the diversity of dissent here,” the visibly disturbed Brown continued.
For more information, go to: www.dailykos.com/…
Helpful Links:
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1553741988014482/?ti=icl
Idle No More SF Bay Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/INMSolidaritySF/