Photo courtesy of Muldoon’s Salooon.
Muldoon’s Saloon in North Long Beach is hosting a fundraiser on Saturday, February 11, to aid those protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota.
#NahDAPL: A Fundraiser for Standing Rock, which runs from 5:00PM to 2:00PM, will feature live music, drink specials, food trucks, art vendors and a raffle.
To participate in the raffle, attendees are required to bring in a material donation for Standing Rock such as firewood, snow tires, hand and feet warmers and snowshoes.
Patrick Conlon, owner of Muldoon’s and a member of Green Party Orange County, said that he wants this fundraiser to be a show of solidarity with those protesting in North Dakota.
Organizers had begun planning the fundraiser in fall 2016, but plans were put on hold once the Obama administration ordered the construction of the pipeline to be stopped in December.
However, Conlon said that since President Trump owns shares in the company building the pipeline, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, he knew the pipeline construction would begin again.
Trump’s shares in Energy Transfer Partners were a source of concern for many before he took office. In November 2016, a spokesperson for Trump said he sold his shares in the company to avoid conflict of interest. However, Trump did receive large campaign donations from the company’s CEO, Kelcy Warren.
As one of his first acts as president, Trump issued an executive order directing the Army Corps of Engineers to go ahead with the project, granting easement of the land and abandoning an environmental impact statement.
In the latest back-and-forth between the federal government and protesters, the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, whose reservation borders Standing Rock, filed a legal challenge yesterday to stall the construction of the final segment of the pipeline, one day after the Army Corps of Engineers granted easement. The challenge claimed the pipeline will harm their drinking water.
Saturday’s fundraiser is being co-hosted with Jenny Lynn, another community activist from Orange County, and Sedef Buyukataman, a member of Veterans-Stand.
Veterans-Stand, a non-profit veterans organization, is partnering with Muldoon’s for the fundraiser.
Members of Veterans-Stand have been aiding protesters at Standing Rock by positioning themselves between the protesters and law enforcement to help prevent any violent action, Conlon said.
The mission of the group is to “fulfill our promise to defend America from enemies, foreign and domestic, by combating the oppression of our fellow human beings,” according to its website.
Muldoon’s will be donating 10 percent of its proceeds after $300 in sales and 15 percent after $2,000 to Veterans-Stand. Additionally, Conlon said the food trucks will be donating between 10 and 20 percent of their proceeds.
All revenue from the raffle will be donated to Veterans-Stand, as well.
Conlon said a lot of people have shown interest in the event, with 192 people RSVPing “yes”on Facebook and another 918 marking “interested.”
To accommodate the expected crowd, Conlon received permits to fence off the parking lot and will have a mobile bartending truck to serve those outside.
This isn’t the first protest against the pipeline to be held in Long Beach. In December, LBC Stands with Standing Rock held an event to educate the community on water rights and support the Standing Rock tribe.
Conlon said that he plans on having more fundraisers against the pipeline in the future, although they won’t be as big as Saturday’s event.
For more information on the fundraiser and to learn what items are being accepted for donation, click here.
Muldoon’s Saloon is located at 5646 North Paramount Boulevard.