Earlier this year, grassroots healthcare activists formed the first People’s Caravan; a mobile rally for Virginians across the commonwealth to join the fight for expanding healthcare. With such large-scale support from the grassroots, our legislators in Richmond were able to pass the historic expansion of Medicaid into law.
On Saturday August 18, many of those same grassroots activists will join with pipeline fighters, environmental and social justice organizations, and community leaders from throughout Virginia and beyond will join together for yet another People’s Caravan. The People’s Caravan for Clean Air & Water will once again highlight a major issue facing Virginia – the two proposed fracked-gas pipeline supported by Dominion Energy, EQT and their partners. These pipelines – the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) – are interstate projects that are designed to carry massive amounts of gas from West Virginia to North Carolina and southeast Virginia. The history of these pipelines has been covered extensively here on Blue Virginia.
As with the previous People’s Caravan, this one will once again culminate in a rally on the capital grounds in Richmond. Although the General Assembly will not be present this time, the rally will bring much-needed media attention to the issue of the pipelines, along with the injustices and corruption they represent. It also serves as a call to action to Governor Ralph Northam, who pledged last year to ensure that the pipeline projects follow the strictest of environmental guidelines during the permitting process; they have not done so and he needs to act.
Speakers include:
- Richard Walker – Union Hill Water is Life
- Becky Crabtree – Teacher and Grandmother of Five
- Jonathan Sokolow – Attorney and activist
- Kendyl Crawford – Virginia Interfaith Power & Light
- A TBD representative from the Virginia State Conference NAACP
- Kenny Boddye – Activist and Chair of the Prince William County Democratic Committee Progressive Caucus
- Chris Burnside – Climate Reality Project
It is imperative that Governor Northam, his administration, and our elected officials in Richmond need to realize that the majority of Virginians do not want or need these pipelines. These projects stand to benefit only the corporations behind them and will do untold harm to both Virginia’s natural resources and the vulnerable communities in the path of the pipelines. The Second People’s Caravan and accompanying rally will emphasize opposition to the pipelines while also advocating for a deeper commitment to renewable energy generation in our commonwealth. We made a huge step forward this year with healthcare, and it’s time to do the same with our energy grid.
Virginia is for lovers of clean air & water, not pipelines!
Sincerely,
The People’s Caravan for Clean Air and Clean Water
Hampton Roads Green Party
NVR Indivisible
Indivisible NoVA West
Roanoake Indivisible Indivisible
Virginia Peninsula Indivisible
Stafford Indivisible
Community Action Network
350 Loudoun
POWHR-Protect Our Water Heritage Rights
Virginia Interfaith Power & Light
Virginia American Atheists
Preserve Floyd Chesapeake Pipeline Resistance
Tidewater DSA
Wild Virginia
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Activate Virginia
Progress4VA1
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