Defund Climate Chaos Street Action
With paint made from the ashes of climate chaos fueled fires in California, protesters demanded that BlackRock defund the oil industry. This action took place in San Francisco on October 29th, 2021. Read David Solnit's excellent article here at commondreams.org.
Build Back Fossil Free Day Caravan
January 26
Urban Tilth and Rich City Rides collaborated with Idle No More S.F. Bay for a powerful car and bicycle caravan as part of the #BuildBackFossilFree Day on Tuesday, January 26th. Over 30 cars and many bicyclists participated! The caravan drove by two of the Community Solutions in Richmond to the climate emergency: Urban Tilth and Rich City Rides, as well as gathering to pass Chevron to push for an end to Fossil Fuels.
We were deeply grateful to 100 Grandmothers Bay Areas and Rich City Rides for blocking intersections and keeping us safe as we drove our route, and deeply grateful to Matt Leonard of Diablo Rising Tide for giving us the capacity to broadcast a powerful program of speakers and music into every car as we made our way through Richmond. For some, it was their first time driving through Richmond and were able to see first hand of how impacted and vulnerable the community is to Chevrons pollution. We had wonderful speakers from Urban Tilth, Rich City Rides, 1000 Grandmothers and Communities for a a better Environment and Idle no More during the opening, the ride and the closing gathering. Our amazing MC Noemi Tungüi for the day created a Spotify Playlist called INM Car Caravan for those who would like to
listen!
Our Build Back Fossil Free Campaign statement follows:
END FOSSIL FUELS. SUPPORT COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS!
“We’re calling on Joe Biden and his administration to take bold action and listen to frontline voices demanding a fossil free world. We organized a car and bicycle caravan in Richmond, CA. Our caravan drove by Chevron refinery to send our message for a complete just transition off of fossil fuels, as well as passing by organizations that are building the beautiful future we have been envisioning — Urban Tilth and Rich City Rides.
As part of #BuildBackFossilFree Days of Action we joined Indigenous Environmental Network and many frontline communities to call on Joe Biden to continue to kick off his term to take executive action to:
- -Protect and invest in the Black, Indigenous, Brown, and working-class communities that have borne the brunt of fossil fuel pollution and climate disasters.
- -Reject new fossil fuel projects, eliminate giveaways to oil gas, and coal corporations, and end the era of fossil fuel production.
- -Launch a national climate mobilization to Build Back Fossil Free, deliver jobs, justice, and opportunity for all.
Fossil fuel pollution and climate disasters created by the use of fossil fuels are disrupting millions of lives. That’s why we — groups representing millions of people across the country fighting for climate, racial, and economic justice — are coming together to ensure Biden becomes the climate president he promised to be.
Our communities gave Joe Biden the mandate to be bold. The good news is that he has the tools to reject new fossil fuel projects, eliminate giveaways to oil gas, and coal corporations, and end the era of fossil fuel production — starting from Day One.
We’re calling on Biden to Take executive action to end the era of fossil fuel production, protect communities reeling from the climate and COVID-19 crises, and #BuildBackFossilFree.”
Please join us by asking your network to sign the petition and we’ll deliver it to the Biden Administration in the first 100 days: buildbackfossilfree.org/#take-action
Virtual Protest: Don't Dredge the Bay
Dredging the Bay is discussed on the KPFA show "A Rude Awakening"
|
|
Idle No More: Equity and Direct Action on Climate!
Professor Stephanie Siehr organized and hosted a powerful panel Tuesday, February 11th, at
the University of San Francisco. This powerful trio consisted of Pennie
Opal Plant and Isabella Zizi from Idle No More SF Bay and the Indigenous
Women of the Americas Defending Mother Earth Treaty and Andres Soto of
Communities for a Better Environment.
They laid out a powerful and clear picture
of the deep connection between what is happening with the indigenous
pipeline struggles in Canada and the proposed Phillips 66 Wharf Expansion
and the dredging of our bay to facilitate huge tankers of tar sands coming
into our Bay. After giving a clear picture of the challenges facing us all,
they inspired young and old to join in action in this critical time for our
beautiful Mother Earth.
Please read the blog by a Pennie Opal Plant on our webpage for a full overview.
Photos: Idle No More SFBay at the
Canadian Consulate, SF, In Solidarity with Wet'suwet'en
January, 2019
Idle No More SF Bay at the People's Climate March
On September 8th, 2018, INM SF Bay helped organize and lead the powerful
march of over 30,000 people in San Francisco. The March was led by
California Native Tribes, followed by a huge indigenous contingent.
We marched from the Embarcadero up the the Civic Center, where the Society of
Fearless Grandmothers held down the street so that over 50 organization and
tribes could paint the solutions on the street -- the largest Street Mural
the west coast has ever seen. Indigenous groups including Indigenous
Environmental Network, Amazon Watch, Indian People Organizing for Change,
Run For Salmon, and a number of California Indigenous Tribes painted
beautiful murals in our indigenous mural area. It was a powerful day of
rising for Climate, Jobs and Justice.
Protecting Mother Earth Conference
In June of 2017, members of Idle No More SF Bay traveled up to Nisqually
Territory to attend the Protecting Mother Earth Conference. Isabella Zizi
along with Katie Nehls, and Maria De Lime Dorsey led people in silk
screening patches for the RISE actions in September. We all attended
powerful workshops, and Isabella Zizi also presented on a panel about
Carbon Trading with Chief Niniwa from Brazil, and Casey Camp Horinek of the
Ponca Nation.
Isabella also was part of a workshop focusing on building
Indigenous and Black Solidarity, and Pennie Opal Plant was part of a
powerful panel on the Rights of Nature. All of us attending were deeply
moved by this powerful, indigenous conference. It brought together so
many powerful friends, treaty sisters, and amazing activists from all over
to share our struggles, victories and lessons learned in working to protect
the Sacred Web of Life.
Fall Equinox Action at Phillips 66
We gathered at Lone Tree Park, site of many Refinery Healing Walks, and gathered water in the morning for a Water Ceremony. We then participated in a prayer walk up to the Phillips 66 Refinery. There we gathered to lay down prayers and do a teach in in front of the Refinery. Cedar George Parker, from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation in BC, accompanied us and shared the struggles and victories of First Nations people's on the Salish Sea.
Representatives of many faith groups sang songs from their traditions while we walked. Representatives from STAND.Earth, CBE, Crockett Rodeo United to Defend the Environment CRUDE, 1000 grandmothers and many other groups spoke in front of the refinery about how important it is for us to STOP the refinery expansion which would facilitate the importation of Tar Sands into our Bay.
The gathering was on the Fall Equinox, as part of the Indigenous Women of the
America's Defending Mother Earth Treaty quarterly commitment to gather at
the places where the harms to our environment are happening, or the places
of decision making happen that threaten the sacred web of life.
This action brought together the work of many. Indigenous Water and Sky Protectors in the Tar Sands of Alberta and Protectors from British Columbia just had a huge win against the
pipeline threatening their waters and lands. Our work here has been to
stop Phillips 66 from bringing Tar Sands into our Bay. It was a beautiful day, led
by
Isabella Zizi,
with the help of so many of us. Gratitude for this beautiful action and the
Treaty that holds us throughout the years...
Oil Pipelines Connecting Resistance: Panel Discussion
It was the week after the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) where over 30k people showed up to take a stand and send a message to California Gov Jerry Brown about the kind of climate leadership we want to see. Idle No More SF Bay teamed up with Stand.Earth to organize a powerful panel to discuss how resistance to oil pipelines, oil tankers, and refinery expansions connects frontline communities in Canada and the US who are rising to stop climate change.
Our First Nations relatives, Cedar George Parker and Charlene Aleck traveled from British Columbia of the Tsleil Waututh Nation to discuss the resistance taking place in their ancestral territories to stop the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMP). They were accompanied by Shoshana Wechschler founder of the Sunflower Alliance, Idle No More SF Bay Grandmother, Dr. Melinda Micco, and Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia to build the discussion.
In the Bay, environmentalist and concerned citizen eyes are focused on the impending potential permit approval of the Phillips 66 Refinery Wharf Expansion project in Rodeo, CA. This is what directly connects us here, on the frontlines of protecting the Bay to the fight for clean water and air in British Columbia, as crude oil from the TMP is what will be processed at this expanded Phillips 66 Refinery if the permit is approved.
GCAS Week of Action Video
COP23 Report Back Audio
Isabella Zizi and Daniel Ilaro
Segment 1:
- How the trip came together
- The serendipitous meeting with Chief Ninawa Huni Kui
- Making connections
Segment 2:
- Jerry Brown action
- Dealing with fear of public speaking
- Takeaways
- Accidental side trip to Cologne
- Action in front of NGO party
- Planning for actions 1, 2 and 3 with Dallas
Segment 3:
- A just transition defined
- Grassroots examples
- WeCan panel and Healing walks shared
- New friends made
- Action 1: Indigenous women-led prayer and song
- Action 2: "Sustain U.S." action and White House panel discussion, including David Banks
- Action 3: Press conference with indigenous leaders
Segment 4:
- Press conference
- Amy Goodman
- Interaction with David Banks
- What we took away with us
- What we bring back to the group