Community members, students and faculty gathered at Gordon Commons Wednesday to peacefully rally against the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The rally was a chance for anyone in the Madison area to come and support the resistance against the pipeline. About two dozen protesters braved the cold and rain to rally for six hours.
The rally originally began inside Gordon Commons at an engineering recruitment event to share facts and opinions about the Dakota Access Pipeline. The rally specifically targeted Michels Corp, which is a construction contractor for the Dakota Access Pipeline. According to the protesters, the company wouldn’t even acknowledge them.
A Native American protester and community member, Tim Fish, spoke about how the pipeline will affect everyone, including future generations.
“I think we made a direct impact on the cooperation,” Fish said.
Another Native American protester, Art Shagoni, shared the traditional side of the connection people have with water.
“The Native people were told to live on land that was by the water because water provided life,” Shagoni said.
The rally’s leader, Emily Blessing, said she encourages people of the Madison community to come together for future rallies.
