Dirtybird brothers Justin and Christian Martin held a surprise fundraiser at Pop’s Bar in San Francisco’s to raise aid money for the Sioux tribespeople and activists fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in Standing Rock, North Dakota.
The idea for a surprise vinyl event had been in the works for some time and ended up being tweaked into a special fundraising party. The small San Francisco bar housed 150 people, raising a total of $900 for the cause, while listening to two of Dirtybird’s finest spin some tunes.
Justin Martin commented: “I chose Standing Rock because I really don’t think it’s getting enough attention right now, and it’s really heartbreaking.” He adds “And I’m not a very political person… but this is a cause that deserves attention.”
The DAPL has been a site of controversy since April of this year, causing heated clashes among law enforcement and protesters. The Sioux people are worried that the pipeline will negatively impact water quality on the reservation and jeopardize cultural heritage sites. The Martin brothers are now among many activist groups, companies, and private citizens that have contributed donations to the cause.
“It’s a group of people who are living off the land and have already overcome so much. The thing that’s so heartbreaking about it is that there’s a treaty that was signed by our government to give them the right to keep this land. And all of a sudden, we have these major oil corporations with all these people invested–everybody you can imagine has money invested in this–and they’re just being… motherfucking bullies. That’s the bottom line,” Justin Martin said.
Continuing the charitable deeds, Christian Martin also mentioned that he was playing another benefit sometime this week in Santa Cruz.
Watch the live stream of their Standing Rock Fundraiser set below!
