BREAKING: This morning the Minneapolis City Council passed a resolution opposed to Line 3! #StopLine3

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 2, 2021

Press Contact: Cassidy DiPaola, cassidy@stgresults.com, 401-441-7196

(Minneapolis, MN) -- Today, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the construction of the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline in northern Minnesota. Citing the city’s declaration of a climate emergency, overwhelming Indigenous and frontline opposition, and the cultural and environmental threats posed by the pipeline, the resolution states that the City:

Opposes construction of the pipeline and calls on every elected leader with the authority to stop its construction to do so immediately.
Requests that the mayor and Police Chief continue to keep Minneapolis police from participating in the Northern Lights Task Force.

“We are listening to the Indigenous community in their demand to stop this pipeline, a project which violates the sovereignty of Tribal Nations and puts Minneapolis’ clean drinking water source at risk,” said City Council Member Alondra Cano.

“Residents throughout our city are working to create a more sustainable future, one that is free of carbon-intensive fossil fuels. We join those families, organizers, and environmental justice voices in calling for an end to an extractive economy that puts money over people. Today, we take a step forward with the water protectors of this land and stand in full solidarity with them to build that better future.”

“We are grateful again for the support of the Minneapolis City Council, which also came out against the alleged atrocities committed by authorities at Standing Rock,” says Winona LaDuke, Executive Director and co-founder of Honor the Earth. “This water we protect serves the people of your city. Together we need to stop the last tar sands pipeline, and help the Walz administration move toward a just transition that will benefit the entire state and help strengthen Indigenous communities.”

“For our civilization to survive, we need to leave fossil fuels in the ground. That is especially true for especially dirty, carbon-intensive fossil fuels like tar sands,” said City Council Member Cam Gordon. “And we need to listen to Indigenous communities that are clearly stating that they do not want this pipeline to cross the lands and waters of northern Minnesota. Minneapolis has declared a climate emergency, has called for fossil fuel divestment, and this action reflects those values and the values of the vast majority of our residents.

“We are experiencing a climate crisis in real time, and it’s more and more urgent every day that we do everything we can – at every level – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, curb our over-reliance on fossil fuels, and ensure that our planet can survive and thrive. The consequences of climate change are already here and they disproportionately affect Indigenous communities, communities of color, and low-income communities. We know emissions from Line 3 will exacerbate the climate crisis, including in Minneapolis,” said Minneapolis City Council Member Jeremy Schroeder, a coauthor of the resolution.

"We applaud the City Council members for their leadership in speaking out against the destructive Line 3 tar sands pipeline. Line 3 violates Indigenous rights and is completely out of step with Minnesota's climate goals, and we are glad to see our local leaders standing with frontline communities in opposition to this disastrous project,” said Margaret Levin, Chapter Director of the Sierra Club North Star Chapter.

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