A small protest outside of Chase Bank in downtown Syracuse gave information on the various banks financing the Dakota Access pipeline. Protesters encouraged people to pull their money out of the big banks supporting the pipeline and reinvest it into local credit unions. The protest was part of a national day of divestment.
Renee Vogelsang, one of the organizers of the event, said it is a powerful way to take action against the banks.
"They could pull their money out of the pipeline," Vogelsand said. "If enough people across the country and around the world are pulling their money out of the banks, hopefully they'll be getting that message that this is something they need to do. That further sends a message to our decision-makers to stop the pipeline and stop this project."
Vogelsang said the pipeline could endanger the drinking water for millions of people and the land of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Demonstrations against the pipeline have been going on for months in North Dakota and hundreds of protestors in Syracuse rallied against the pipeline in November.
