This afternoon, hundreds of youth climate activists shut down a BP gas station with people power. Brad Johnson has the story and video.
The flash mob contrasted a joyous and cheerful celebration of the beauty of the Gulf Coast “” beach balls, beach chairs, and palm trees “” with the devastation caused by the BP oil disaster. In an exclusive interview with ThinkProgress during the protest, Tulane University student Stephanie Stefanski explains why she drove 20 hours from Louisiana to the 2011 Power Shift conference to help to shut down BP and make them pay to restore the Gulf:
There’s still oil on our coast. I saw it two weeks ago, I touched it, I smelled it. It’s still causing massive die offs with dolphins, sea turtles, crustaceans and fish. It’s causing public health issues. I’m here to tell everyone this problem is still here one year later. The beaches are still oiled. They’re trying to “make it right” by paying off the community, but it’s still destroyed. The fisheries are damaged. There’s no money in, people still don’t trust the seafood. They’re not paying up for their damages.
Stefanski is with the Gulf Restoration Network, which has a national petition to hold President Obama accountable and implement the Oil Spill Commission recommendations to ensure Louisiana and its sister states come back stronger.
One year after the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, sending 11 men to a fiery grave, BP’s crude and dispersants are still impacting the Gulf and its communities. BP has scored a $10 billion tax refund for its part in cleaning up its toxic crime. On Tax Day, Monday, April 18th, the Gulf Coast Power Shift contingent will take action in front of BP’s lobbying headquarters, and meet with their members of Congress to demand that Congress and the President act now to stop the crisis on America’s Gulf Coast, and make BP truly pay for their disaster.
“Don’t forget the BP oil disaster!” Stefanski concluded.
ThinkProgress has learned that Power Shift 2011 participants are mobilizing to stage protests across the nation on Wednesday, April 20, to boycott and shut down BP gas stations in their communities to tell President Obama to make BP pay to restore the Gulf.
– Brad Johnson, in a WonkRoom repost.
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I am not sticking up for BP in anyway, but my understanding is that most so called name brand gasoline stations are owned by independent business people and staging demostrations at them just hurts the little guy unlucky enough to own that particular franchise.
If they want to go after BP they need to find some BP corporate offices somewhere.
We did, we spent a brief time at the gas station and then took the demonstration down the street to the BP America Government affairs building.
I agree with #1 (Robert). We staged a protest near a BP gas station last spring during the spill. We wanted the sign in the background, and it was a well traveled city road. But we made it clear that we liked the station (even bought snacks there), and stayed far enough away so cars could get in and out.
Oh the youth of America! Absoluty nothing to do but harass some one. Drive 20 hrs burning up gas so BP can make more money! Amazing!