Justice League NYC, a criminal justice task force, and its founding organization, The Gathering for Justice, support the courageous efforts of Native people and activists of all backgrounds to stand against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. We recognize that, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Flint River in Michigan, the prioritization of corporate profits over public safety has had disastrous results. Justice League NYC members joined the “Atlanta Stands With Standing Rock” demonstration organized by Queen YoNasDa Lonewolf on September 30th, in a show of solidarity with the movement to protect our water.
We recognize the tremendous contributions of labor unions to the movement for justice and equality, and applaud the Labor Coalition for Community Action for upholding that tradition by supporting the movement to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. We are disappointed by the statement made by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, in support of pipeline construction, and hope that the AFL-CIO will reconsider its position based on the outcry from Native people and the groundswell of support from all people of good conscience.
We stand in solidarity with the protection of clean water, our most vital necessity, and all the human right of every person to access it.
Justice League NYC is a rapid-response criminal justice task force launched by The Gathering for Justice, a non-profit organization founded by iconic actor and activist Harry Belafonte in 2005. The Justice League NYC has established itself as a leader in the Movement for Racial Equity, utilizing the talents and resources of its members to advocate for viable reforms to the criminal justice system. In April 2015, Justice League NYC led a 9-day, 250-mile march from New York City to Washington, D.C. to deliver to Congress three federal bills to end racial profiling, stop the militarization of police and interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. Justice League NYC keeps public pressure on high-level city, state and federal officials, by engaging in substantive policy discussions with stakeholders, and building power on the streets with strategic community mobilization.
Photo credit: NPR
