Mayor Wheeler, Members of City Council and Auditor Caballero,

This is a petition from the people of Portland, drafted by Direct Action Alliance.

We are calling on city leaders to immediately and permanently divest from, and sever operational ties with, Wells Fargo, Bank of Tokyo, USBank, and JP Morgan Chase. These banks are currently invested in, and intend to profit from, the Dakota Access Pipeline which runs through Standing Rock, ND. This pipeline has become the living embodiment of our nation's shameful history of exploitation, abuse and brutality against the first Americans.

The City of Portland has diversified investments totaling over $1.84 billion.

Of that $1.84 billion, over $200 million ($207,520,174) is invested in these banks that are profiting off of the exploitation and abuse of the first Americans.

This is unacceptable.

Here is the monetary breakdown of our investment in these banks:

$77,578,000 - Wells Fargo 
$54,820,800 - Bank of Tokyo*Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. 
$42,831,374 - US Bank                                                                                 $32,290,000 - JP Morgan Securities LLC

With an additional $41 million invested in big oil:

$33,000,000 - Chevron                                                                               $8,000,000 - Exxon Mobile

That is nearly $250 million ($248,520,174) of Portland's money that is being invested directly into companies that are looking to profit off of the corporate land-grab at Standing Rock, a land grab that has been brutally enforced by the state.

In addition to these investments, the City of Portland has operating accounts with USBank and Wells Fargo totaling over $36,000,00, as well as interest bearing accounts totaling over $25,000. These accounts can easily be closed and the moneys invested in local Credit Unions.

Backed by the militarized police state, these corporations are financing a brutal crackdown on the indigenous peoples, the first Americans, and the water protectors who are defending the sacred waters and treaty lands at Standing Rock.

The people of Portland are calling on you, our elected leaders, to be the voice of the people and to take a stand against oppression and tyranny; we are calling on you to pull our investments from these corporations and banking institutions.

Portland should not collaborate in, or profit off of, the continued exploitation and abuse of indigenous Americans. 

We are calling on you to take a stand; divest our city from the Dakota Access Pipeline and send a statement that Portland does not stand with the big banks and big oil, we stand with the Water Protectors and we stand with our water.

Water is Life.