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The momentum of the Seize BP
campaign is growing each day. As BP executives hedge at Congressional hearings,
saying they’ll pay only “legitimate” damage claims for the oil disaster they
caused, people across the United States came out in protest. Yesterday, May 12,
was a National Day of Action to Seize BP. Demonstrations happened at BP offices,
gas stations and other places in over 20 cities and towns, organized by Seize
BP.
“Working people on the Gulf Coast
are now struggling to survive, while BP brings in $93 million in profit each
day,” said Sarah Sloan, spokesperson of Seize BP. “Unless we build a movement
around the demand to seize BP’s assets, they will pay only a fraction of what
they owe. Justice demands that BP’s assets be seized so that those that are who
were negatively impacted by the oil spill are fairly compensated.”
Many thousands of people have
signed the petition to Seize BP and thousands more have sent letters to the
editors of their local newspapers. Click
here to join the campaign today.
Below are brief reports from some
of the actions that happened yesterday. If you organized an action in your city
that is not listed below, please send us a report at [email protected].
Washington,
D.C.
In Washington, D.C., protestors
rallied at the BP Amoco Corporation Government Affairs Office on New York
Avenue.
Holding placards and a large
banner that read “Seize BP’s Assets,” the determined group was unaffected by
down pouring rain as they demanded that the company fully compensate workers for
lost jobs and cover all costs of the Gulf Coast clean up.
Demonstrators picketed and
chanted slogans, attracting significant attention from drivers and passers-by at
the height of rush hour traffic in the busy downtown area. A large presence of
media also turned out for the event.
Los
Angeles, California
Protesters in Los Angeles shut
down the BP “Green Curve” gas station with a vibrant picket. Chanting “People
over profit, seize BP,” around 75 people turned out to support the Seize BP
campaign. The picket was strong for over two hours, gaining in numbers and
militancy.
BP’s “Green Curve” station is
heavily promoted by BP as a “green” alternative for consumers, which is
precisely why protesters targeted it. One of the day’s most popular chants was
“Hey BP, you’re not green; your oil is like a killing machine!” The protest was
widely covered in the media.
“We’re calling for a government
seizure of BP’s assets to pay for all the environmental damage, personal losses
and untold consequences of their oil spill,” declared Ian Thompson, a Seize BP
organizer. “To have a company that is responsible for one of the worst
environmental disasters ever claim to be able to teach anybody how to live green
is utter hypocrisy,” Thompson said.
San Francisco,
California
In San Francisco, a crowd that gathered in front of the BP Solar offices grew
to more than 50 people in a matter of minutes. The chants of “Hey, Hey! Ho, Ho!
BP greed has got to go!” and “People over profits, Seize BP!” rang through
downtown San Francisco as cars honked passing by.
Chris Banks, an organizer for the ANSWER Coalition, said in an interview with
local news media: “In our view, thousands of workers have lost their livelihood,
the environment there could be affected permanently and they [BP] need to pay
for it.” That sentiment was echoed, literally, down New Montgomery Street while
the picket line chanted: “We won’t pay for BP’s mess! Take it from their bonus
checks!”
As Big Oil continues to tear itself apart in Washington, scrambling to deny
the responsibility, the people see the truth. As organizer Frank Lara pointed
out from the bullhorn, “Only through a movement of the people in the streets
will we hold big oil responsible because without public pressure, politicians
will only give them free rides.”
Chicago,
Illinois
Dozens of protestors gathered
outside the downtown Chicago offices of BP to send the message that the people
of Chicago demand justice for Big Oil’s crimes. The Demonstration was organized
by the Seize BP campaign and ANSWER Chicago.
Demonstrators chanted “Seize BP!
Make them pay! BP’s guilty! Make them pay!” and “What do we want? Seize BP! When
do we want it? Now!” The people held placards reflecting those demands while
drivers honked in support as they drove by. A number of pedestrians joined with
the protest off the street and helped out with the effort.
Volunteers gathered numerous
signatures on petitions supporting the Seize BP movement.
New York, New
York
Dozens gathered outside of JP
Morgan Chase’s World Headquarters, which controls 30 percent of BP’s public
stock. Activists handed out hundreds of leaflets and collected petitions from
passers-by. Some traveled from New Jersey to attend. A favorite chant among
participant was, “BP can’t be trusted, seize their assets, give us justice.”
Hammond,
Louisiana
Students from Southeastern
Louisiana University took the lead in organizing a demonstration at Cate Square
in downtown Hammond drawing a significant response from cars passing by in the
after work traffic. Protestors chanted “from the Gulf to Iraq, Make BP pay it
back!”
Hammond is a university town, but
the area is dependent on the fishing industry that facing tremendous risk.
“I think Amite is going to feel
it and throughout the region. Amite is one of the main oyster shucking locations
in Louisiana. There’s many oyster shucking houses and there’s a lot of seafood
business there even though it’s not right on the coast,” said protest organizer,
Gregory Esteven, who is from Amite, La., just 25 minutes North of Hammond.
Austin,
Texas
A spirited group of protestors assembled in front of the Texas State Capitol
to make their voices heard. The group rallied for two hours, chanting “Seize
BP!” nearly continuously. Several started chants of their own.
If passers-by are any indication, Austinites want to put people and the
environment before profits. Pedestrians and drivers were overwhelmingly
supportive of Seize BP’s message, and some even stopped to join the
demonstration. Others stopped to ask about the campaign and discuss their fears
about the catastrophe in the Gulf.
Andrew Trayham expressed concern about the people who will be put out of work
by BP’s criminal negligence, asking “How will all those people get by after they
lose their jobs?” James Hunter, agreeing with Mr. Trayham, said, “It’s
disgusting that BP is able to reap such huge profits by putting the environment
and people’s livelihoods at risk.”
Hattiesburg,
Mississippi
Protesters took to the corner of
Hardy St and Westover Drive a busy intersection during rush hour traffic. The
location provided the opportunity to show our message to those passing by the BP
Station behind us. “We received many thumbs-up and one car even stopped mid-way
through her turn to ask about the protest,” said Rob Sayers, the protest
organizer.
Ft. Lauderdale,
Florida
Several dozen protesters gathered
in front of the Federal Courthouse in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Organizers used
the location to highlight how the federal court system was a major arena where
victims of the Exxon/Valdez spill were denied justice for more than twenty
years.
The Ft Lauderdale action was
covered by the major newspapers in South Florida, as well as both English and
Spanish TV channels. Prior to the demonstration, the local press ran significant
coverage of the Seize BP Campaign’s National Day of Actions.
St. Petersburg and
Tallahassee, Florida
About 40 people protested in
front of a BP gas station in St. Petersburg, Fl. Seven local media outlets were
present, and response from the rush hour traffic was positive.
In Tallahassee, dozens of
protesters came out to demand “Seize BP.” People chanted and held signs and
banners. Major mass media outlets and local newspapers covered the spirited
event.
Albuquerque, New
Mexico
Members of ANSWER New Mexico
joined other Albuquerque activists in front of Rep. Heinrich’s office to demand
that the U.S. government seize the assets of British Petroleum. From there,
demonstrators marched to Senators Udall and Bingaman’s offices chanting.
Members of Stop the War Machine
and Vets for Peace spoke out during the event. The Albuquerque Raging Grannies
were also on hand with a strong line up of songs that called for an end to
reckless drilling and proclaimed that lives are worth more than profits.
ANSWER organizer Preston Wood
addressed the crowd in front of Senator Bingaman’s office, urging everyone to
keep up the pressure. “It’s good that Senator Bingaman is criticizing BP for its
recklessness, but he isn’t calling for a moratorium on drilling. It’s up to us
to continue the pressure and to demand an end to this.”
New
Haven, Connecticut
The Seize BP campaign kicked off
in Connecticut with a demonstration on the steps of the US District Court in New
Haven. Despite stormy weather, protesters gathered to spread the word about the
campaign and gather signatures on the Seize BP petition. Passers-by, on their
way home from work, responded very positively to the campaign demands. Some
grabbed signs that read “BP: the ugly face of capitalism” and joined the
demonstration. “It’s about time—haven’t they made enough money?” said one woman
who stopped to sign.
Sioux Falls, South
Dakota
A group of people braved the cold
and rain to demand BP be held accountable for the oil damage in the Gulf of
Mexico. Though it was not planned, a BP station was across the intersection.
Many of the cars that passed honked in encouragement and that helped keep the
protest going. The three main stations in South Dakota interviewed ANSWER
members which they showed twice on the news.
