US veterans who protested DAPL are fighting a new fight

Last week, thousands of American veterans descended on Standing Rock to defend the anti-pipeline protesters from police brutality. Now that the news has been handed down that the US Army is blocking the pipeline from going forward (at least for the time being), the veteran’s group is on the move once again. Their next stop? Flint, Michigan – where residents are still struggling with a lack of access to clean water.

In early 2014, the city of Flint switched its water source from Detroit’s utility system to the polluted Flint River, without adding the anti-corrosion agents needed to keep the water safe. The new water ate away at the city’s pipes, causing lead to leach into the water of homes and schools through the area for nearly a year before the city alerted residents to the problem. Despite a national spotlight, the water crisis still hasn’t been resolved.

There’s no set date for the veterans’ trip to Flint yet, but it if it’s anything like the Standing Rock campaign, it’s likely to be an impressive effort. In the end, supporters donated more than $1.1 million on GoFundMe to help send more than 4,000 veterans to the reservation.