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On Sunday, May 27th, Occupy Denver will be teaming up again with groups such as Deep Green Resistance, 350.org, and families from local communities that are directly affected by the Commerce City Suncor refinery for a demonstration against Suncor and the oil seep contaminating the Sand Creek and South Platte River. You can visit us on Facebook for information about the benzene spill here. We are asking everyone concerned about our water, air, land and future to stand with us.

Over the last year, many people and various organizations have united to oppose the Alberta tar sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline, correctly recognizing these industrial projects as ecocidal insanity. Here in Colorado, oil from the tar sands is refined by Suncor Energy. By participating in the process of facilitating genocide against the aboriginal people of Alberta, Suncor Energy has toxified our air, land and water without end. By bringing together active members of the Colorado community in coalition, we will align to force Suncor to stop destroying and poisoning our world, both here in Colorado and in Canada.

On Sunday, May 27th, we will occupy the ‘hot zone’ on the shore of Sand Creek, where carcinogenic benzene from Suncor’s refinery has been seeping into the water. By occupying the hot zone, we hope to bring public attention to the fact that Suncor is killing Colorado communities, water and wildlife, and to force this industrial polluter to confront the effects of its actions. It is also our hope to form strong alliances with one another and begin to work in partnership so we can effectively move forward against Suncor’s unethical and irresponsible practices.

For this action, members of Occupy Denver will be hosting a bike ride and trash cleanup along the Platte River bike path to the Suncor Refinery (weather permitting). Anyone is welcome and everyone is encouraged to take part in this. We will meet between 11:30 AM and noon at Lincoln Park, in front of the State Capitol, to leave from there. Those who do not wish to take part in the bike ride can carpool to 64th Avenue and York Street, where we will all meet up at about 2:00 PM to eat and walk to the site of the action at the confluence of Sand Creek and South Platte River. Food will be provided by Denver Food Rescue (?), and representatives from various groups will be speaking. Be aware that fumes from the oil and the refinery can sometimes make the area uncomfortable for people with compromised respiratory systems. We encourage everyone to bring their theatrical ideas to dramatize this event (haz-mat suits, EPA inspector costumes, gas masks, “fracking fluid,” etc. would be quite appropriate here).

It is our hope to see as many of you as possible at this demonstration. Suncor is actively destroying our planet, and should be stopped. Suncor’s role in the tar sands is contributing to a devastated climate and is harming indigenous communities in Canada as well as people living in local communities in Colorado. Please join us on May 27th to stand against these injustices and degradation of our Earth.