Each year since 2014, on May 21, communities affected by Chevron’s operations have joined in solidarity to express their concerns about human rights and the global climate to the press, to Chevron’s management and shareholders, and to each other. It is a day of solidarity in action in anticipation of Chevron’s annual shareholder meeting. After years of being treated with disrespect and racism by Chevron’s leadership, many community leaders refuse to participate at Chevron meetings, turning to community action instead.
This year, as we have done for a decade, Amazon Watch marched and rallied in solidarity with the Richmond, CA community and brought messages from our allies in the Ecuadorian Amazon, the Union of People Affected by Chevron-Texaco (UDAPT). Thousands have signed an online petition calling on the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights to insist that the Ecuadorian government not interfere UDAPT’s efforts to hold Chevron accountable for its deliberate pollution.
Residents of both Richmond and the Ecuadorian Amazon refuse to live in the shadow of Chevron’s pollution – whether in the midst of 1,000 open-air toxic waste pits the company left in the Amazon rainforest, or the oil giant’s regular refinery flaring, fires, and toxic dumping into the San Francisco Bay.
Our decade of protests is too long to go ignored by Chevron management. Two different CEOs have overseen Chevron operations in that time, but neither has cared to consider the human rights and environmental impacts Chevron operations have on local communities. In fact, as readers of our blog know quite well, Chevron has distinguished itself by aggressively pursuing its critics in attempts to silence them with legal bullying and PR campaigns.
Anti-Chevron Day 2023 held live and online actions all week
Amazon Watch also joined dozens of activist leaders from various organizations – both Richmond-based and solidarity groups like Corporate Accountability and Friends of the Earth to kick off a week of online action around Anti-Chevron Day. The week of social media action is raising awareness of the ongoing pursuit for justice for Ecuadorians who have been suffering what is likely the worst oil-related disaster in history.
Corporate Accountability has shared videos created by affected communities about the company’s actions. The first is from our long-time close allies at UDAPT about Chevron’s continued impact on their lives.
Another video from the Confederación Mapuche de Neuquén, describes being affected by Chevron’s fracking operations on their territory.
Meanwhile, across the world, allies from the Conservation Council of Western Australia launched an action calling on Chevron to shut down its polluting Barrow Island facility, due to its continued failure to meet environmental approval conditions and its massive, increasing, and avoidable contributions to Western Australia’s carbon emissions.
Back in Richmond, the chorus of anti-Chevron voices also included speakers from Richmond’s Our Power Coalition, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Burmese American Democratic Alliance, the League of Filipino Students at UC Berkeley, and the Protect the Protest Coalition. They were joined by Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez to call out Chevron’s abuses and demand action.
Richmond Anti-Chevron Day Sponsors:
Chevron management under scrutiny
In addition to ignoring local communities, Chevron continues to refuse to respond to questions issued by the U.S. House Oversight Committee about a damning report detailing over $50 billion owed by the company to communities and governments around the globe where Chevron has devastated biodiversity, been complicit in human rights crimes, and allegedly committed bribery and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, among other crimes.
In fact, these specific concerns will be raised once again at the company’s online shareholder meeting on May 31. Management has already dismissed the concerns of affected communities in its official statement. Artists for Amazonia member, actor, writer, and producer Scottie Thompson will introduce a resolution at Chevron’s meeting on behalf of Newground Social Investment calling for the company to separate the roles of board chair and CEO to bring in much needed oversight of the company. Stay tuned for more updates on this initiative.
Anti-Chevron Day is not just about drawing attention to Chevron’s misdeeds, but also pointing out how many affected communities and their allies continue to support one another in resistance. Chevron infamously tries to divide and silence those it has harmed the most when they fight back, but this annual day of solidarity and action demonstrates the company’s failure to succeed.
