Neil Young is not backing down. In September, Young wrote a song about the NoDAPL protests taking place in North Dakota called “Indian Givers”. Then, in mid-November, Young and his girlfriend (actress Daryl Hannah) visited the protestors at the proposed site of the Dakota Access Pipeline for an in-person protest and performance. Now, Young has gotten more involved in the NoDAPL movement, penning a letter to President Barack Obama pleading for an end to the violence towards protesters that has been going on for months.
The letter is long and winding but details Young and Hannah’s intense devotion to the cause. Young speaks directly to Obama at times: “We are calling upon you, President Barack Obama, to step in and end the violence against the peaceful water protectors at Standing Rock immediately.” In such divisive times, it’s amazing to see an important artist like Neil Young using his voice to be heard on something so meaningful, just like he did in his heyday of the 60s.
The letter is powerful, to say the least. You can read the statement in full below.