Environmental groups organize to protest Chevron, military action in Venezuela

"A coalition of Bay Area environmental groups are planning to protest at Chevron's Richmond refinery and a Berkeley Chevron station this weekend to oppose the Trump administration's actions in Venezuela and the company's role in contributing to pollution in Richmond. The corporate giant is the only U.S. oil company operating in Venezuela and is poised to benefit from the U.S. intervention there."

"The action Saturday is part of a nationwide day of resistance, to protest not only the Trump administration's takeover of Venezuela and Chevron's role in the country, but also the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday. We stand united demanding an end to the Venezuelan occupation and the removal of reckless untrained ICE agents from our communities, organizers wrote in their call to action."

"One of the things that we're fighting is how the Trump administration is using these illegal power plays to destabilize Latin American countries in ways that are not foreign to us, said Ilonka Zlatar, an organizer with the Oil and Gas Action Network, one of the groups planning the protest. The U.S. has a long history of meddling in other countries around the world, specifically to open up those other places for resource extraction."

Bay Area environmental and justice groups plan protests at Chevron's Richmond refinery and a Berkeley Chevron station this weekend. The demonstrations oppose the Trump administration's actions in Venezuela, Chevron's involvement there, and the company's contribution to pollution in Richmond. Organizing groups include Bay Resistance, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, East Bay Democratic Socialists of America, and Showing Up for Racial Justice. The refinery action is set for Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Gate 14; the Berkeley station protest is scheduled Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. Organizers cite a recent U.S. military action in Venezuela that Venezuelan officials say left more than 100 dead and criticize U.S. intervention as enabling resource extraction.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org