Native Americans confront police, demand action on climate change outside White House

Record ID: 1641007

  • Title: Native Americans confront police, demand action on climate change outside White House
  • Date: 11th October 2021
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 11, 2021) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS PROFANITY*** DEMONSTRATOR LARESHA SUMNER OF THE GROUP HONOR THE EARTH, YELLING AT PARK POLICE OFFICER SAYING: "The fucking White House? Are you fucking kidding me right now? Are you shitting me? You can let people come poop on our capitol but you're worried about some water protectors. What is wrong with you? How can you even stand there?" WHITE FLASH SUMNER YELLING AT PARK POLICE OFFICER SAYING: "White people with guns rally here." SEVERAL PEOPLE YELL: "Public enemy number one." "White people rally here but I can't set foot on my own ground." CROWD CHANTS: "Honor the trees. Honor the trees." SUMNER AND ANOTHER NATIVE AMERICAN WOMAN START DANCING DEMONSTRATOR ERICA JONES OF FORT THOMPSON, SOUTH DAKOTA YELLING AS SECRET SERVICE PLACE HER IN HANDCUFFS SAYING: "Fuck those guys. Fuck you America. Fuck you, you're supposed to protect us. I am a veteran. I have a criminal justice degree." SIGN READING: (English) "PROTECT NATIVE LANDS" WIDE OF DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING SIGNS AND BANNERS AS THEY PREPARE TO WALK TO WHITE HOUSE WHITE FLASH DEMONSTRATORS WALKING MOVING SHOT OF DEMONSTRATORS WALKING WITH SIGNS AND BANNERS WIDE OF DEMONSTRATORS GATHERED OUTSIDE OF WHITE HOUSE BANNER READING: (ENGLISH) "PEOPLE VS. FOSSIL FUELS" PAN OF DEMONSTRATOR WITH FISTS RAISED, CHANTING "We are the protectors." (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) DEMONSTRATOR, DENISE BRIGHT DOVE ASHTON-DUNKLEY, SAYING: "If we're going to have Indigenous Peoples Day, we have to honor the people that were given that day too. You know, and that comes with responsibility and accountability for what's happening to our people and our tribal lands. You know, toxifying our earth and again, we were the original caretakers of this land and we need our voices to be heard in how to take care of it." WIDE OF DEMONSTRATORS BEATING DRUMS CLOSER SHOT OF DEMONSTRATORS BEATING DRUMS DEMONSTRATORS IN TRADITIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN ATTIRE DANCING CROWD CHANTING AND BANGING DRUMS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMONSTRATOR, JOYE BRAUN, CRITICIZING U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SAYING: "You (Biden) need to be held accountable, you made promises to the indigenous communities across this land that you were going to uphold, but you haven't upheld those promises. You've been speaking with a forked tongue, just like that one that was before you." U.S. PARK POLICE OFFICER POINTING TO MICROPHONE SAYING, "I'm about to use this, you'll want to step to the side." (OFFICER BEGINS SPEAKING INTO MICROPHONE) "Attention. Attention this is Lieutenant (INDECIPHERABLE) with the United States Park Police. Because you are in violation of regulations in this area under DC code 22101307, prohibiting , crowding, obstructing and promoting, you must leave the White House sidewalk now by using one of the available to your left, right or front. The remaining will be arrested. This is your first warning." SUMNER RESPONDING TO PARK POLICE OFFICER SAYING: "So, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait! You can let people storm the fucking White House. Are you fucking kidding me right now? Are you shitting me?" PARK POLICE OFFICER: "This is your second warning." SUMNER ADDRESSING AFRICAN AMERICAN PARK POLICE OFFICER SAYING: "You ain't got to push nobody around to get anywhere. You should know that. We call you guys agitators because you guys come into a peaceful place, a peaceful place and you agitate every single time. (SOME CROSSTALK) HIGH SHOT OF SUMNER DANCING IN FRONT OF POLICE, POLICE OFFICER TOUCHING SUMNER'S SHOULDER AS HE MOVES PAST HER PARK POLICE OFFICERS CONSULTING WITH EACH OTHER SUMNER CONFRONTING POLICE OFFICER AS HE WALKS PAST HER DEMONSTRATORS STANDING BEHIND POLICE TAPE IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE AS SOME SORT OF POLICE PLAY SOME SORT OF ALARM IN AN EFFORT TO DISPERSE THE CROWD POLICE OFFICER WALKING WITH ELDERLY PROTESTER, LEADING HER AWAY FROM THE WHITE HOUSE PARK POLICE (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMONSTRATOR ERICA JONES OF FORT THOMPSON, SOUTH DAKOTA YELLING AS SECRET SERVICE PLACE HER IN HANDCUFFS SAYING: "I have a criminal justice degree. Do you have children? Do you have children? Do you? I don't wish this on my children at all. I want you to know what my daughter saw." JONES LEANING FORWARD AND STRUGGLING AS POLICE OFFICERS WALK HER OVER TO FENCE BACK VIEW OF DEMONSTRATOR SPEAKING INTO MEGAPHONE WITH WHITE HOUSE IN THE BACKGROUND VIEW OF DEMONSTRATORS IN AUTHORIZED PROTEST AREA (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMONSTRATOR, ROY FROM THE RED LAKES NATION IN MINNESOTA, SAYING: "We are the voice of the animals. We are the voice of the trees because they don't have a voice -- creator to us gave us stewardship over the land, so that's what we are doing. We are fighting for clean water, for future generations, for Mother Earth, for the world." DEMONSTRATORS DANCING AND PLAYING DRUM JONES, WHO WAS BRIEFLY INTERROGATED BY SECRET SERVICE BEFORE BEING ALLOWED TO REJOIN PROTEST, DANCING
  • Embargoed: 25th October 2021 18:20
  • Keywords: Climate change environment indigenous people native Americans
  • Location: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Environment,United States
  • Reuters ID: LVA001EYPTW07
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS NOTE: STORY CONTAINS PROFANITY
    Chanting "we are the protectors," dozens of Native Americans and environmental activists rallied outside the White House on Monday (October 11) to demand the United States take larger steps to stem the impact of climate change.
    "If we're going to have Indigenous Peoples Day, we have to honor the people that were given that day too. We were the original caretakers of this land and we need our voices to be heard in how to take care of it," Denise Bright Dove Ashton-Dunkley said. Ashton-Dunkley traveled from New Jersey to attend the event.
    At several points during the rally, demonstrators confronted Park Police officers who ordered the crowd to vacate the area directly by the White House fence. Park Police said the group had not filed for a petition to protest on the sidewalk outside the White House and attempted to steer demonstrators to an authorized demonstration area further from the White House.
    Ahead of the rally, the organizing group -- People vs. Fossil Fuels - advised its supporters that many of the protesters intend to risk arrest.
    Many in the crowd have called for the Keystone Pipeline to be shut down. While U.S. President Joe Biden in June revoked a key permit needed for a U.S. stretch of the 1,200-mile project, many in the crowd say more action is needed.
    "You (Biden) made promises to the indigenous communities across this land that you were going to uphold, but you haven't upheld those promises. You've been speaking with a forked tongue, just like that one that was before you," Joye Braun said.
    Demonstrator Erica Jones was briefly detained and interrogated by Secret Service who claimed she hurled an orange over the White House fence. Speaking to Reuters, Jones did not confirm or deny the claim, saying only that she had experienced 'an episode.' Shortly after she was placed in handcuffs and questioned, Jones was released and could be seen dancing and chanting in the authorized demonstration area.
    The mostly peaceful protest, which began with a march through Washington D.C. and ended outside the White House, took place on the Columbus Day federal holiday. Last week, Biden announced the day would also be called Indigenous People's Day in recognition of the contributions of Native Americans.
    (Production: Kevin Fogarty, Gershon Peaks, Deborah Gembara)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register