Protestors urging Wells Fargo to divest from oil pipeline projects forced a commercial banking location in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, to shut down on Wednesday, according to a local report.
"Wells Fargo funds these oil companies, they fund the oil pipeline, which shot rubber bullets at peaceful protesters last year," disabled veteran and protestor Jessie Campbell said, regarding the top bank's involvement with the Dakota Access pipeline, which had numerous financial backers.
Campbell had locked herself to a table in the lobby of the Minnesota Wells Fargo branch, forcing the location to shut down as law enforcement and bank officials negotiated with her. Twenty minutes later, she was allowed to leave. Campbell was not arrested.
A dozen or so other protestors joined Campbell outside to remonstrate against Wells Fargo's financing of the $3.8 billion pipeline, which has served as the whipping post for the growing anti-pipeline movement. The date was chosen as it marks the one-year anniversary of the veterans' arrival at Standing Rock-the origination point of the hard-fought and rather ugly battle between Standing Rock Sioux tribe, the Army Corp of Engineers, and Energy Transfer Partners over DAPL.
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"This day, Dec. 5, has significance for me," Campbell said in a written statement to the bank manager. "I am a combat vet, and as such, I was horrified to see our government allow a private corporation (Tiger Swan) to use militarized forces on peaceful civilians at Standing Rock, N.D."
The 470,000-bpd pipeline started carrying crude in May, and according to a district court judge's latest ruling, will continue to do so at least until next April, while the Army Corps conducts its review of a permit that was issued shortly after President Donald Trump's inauguration.
By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com
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Zainab Calcuttawala is an American journalist based in Morocco. She completed her undergraduate coursework at the University of Texas at Austin (Hook’em) and reports on… More