Brief: Protesters celebrate Standing Rock win

Protesters gathered at the Revelstoke Workers’ Memorial in Centennial Park on Dec. 4 for a solidarity vigil in support of the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota got unexpected good news in the hours before the vigil started.

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers announced earlier in the day it would deny the company building the pipeline a permit to cross under a reservoir on land it controls in the area. The move will likely mean a change in route for the contentious pipeline.

For the 15 at the vigil, the news was welcome, but not a reason to let down their guard.

After a brief ceremony that included drumming and song, some of the protesters talked briefly about pipelines. Resident Lisa Moore welcomed the news, but encouraged vigilance, saying circumstances could change quickly.

Others talked about the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. This week, Prime Minister Trudeau announced federal approval for the project. There was some discussion about signing on to online protests of the planned expansion pipeline.

The vigil was originally planned for near the Revelstoke Workers’ Memorial, but due to cold winds it was moved closer to the boat launch in Centennial Park. In the meantime, several others showed up to the original site but couldn’t locate the gathering.