Greenpeace activists shut down a Mobil station today in the heart of Beverly Hills just minutes after shutting down a station in Manhattan. Protestors peacefully chained themselves to gas pumps at both locations and dropped a banner that read
As final preparations for global talks on how to address climate
change are made in India this week, the groundswell of protest
against oil giant ExxonMobil's, expanded across the USA, the
company's home base.
10 Greenpeace volunteers were arrested after shutting down a New
York Exxon petrol station by chaining themselves to the pumps and
unfurling a banner reading "Stop Global Warming, Don't Buy
ExxonMobil" from a nearby building. A similar protest took place
simultaneously in Los Angeles.
"We are here today with a simple message - don't buy ExxonMobil
products until they stop interfering with government action on
global warming," said Melanie Duchin, Greenpeace Climate
Campaigner. "It's time for concerned citizens to use the power of
their wallets to force the world's number global warming villain to
change its ways."
Greenpeace has documented ExxonMobil's efforts to prevent action
on global warming in a report entitled "Denial and Deception: A
Chronicle of ExxonMobil's Corruption of the Global Warming Debate."
Despite multiple appeals from Greenpeace and others, the company
has refused to change its policy, using its huge resources to
influence top politicians, like President Bush, in an effort to
stifle US action on global warming.
"Greenpeace has launched an international campaign against
ExxonMobil that will continue until the company stops sabotaging
government action on global warming, and agrees to support
mandatory reductions in global warming pollution," said Stephanie
Tunmore, Greenpeace International Climate Campaigner. "In Europe
and elsewhere, ExxonMobil is already feeling the heat from
Greenpeace and consumers - now the campaign is being ramped up in
the United States."
The world's governments - except the USA - will meet in India
from 23Oct - 1st Nov for the next round of talks about the Kyoto
Protocol.
"The Kyoto Protocol is the only international agreement that
addresses climate change and it is doing so without the USA - the
world's single biggest greenhouse gas polluter" said Tunmore.
"Pressure from ExxonMobil is one of the reasons why President Bush
refuses to ratify the Protocol. If we are to protect the climate,
we have to stop ExxonMobil. "
The Greenpeace protests were part of a national day of action
against ExxonMobil held by environmental, human rights and
pro-democracy groups that saw peaceful demonstrations at 50 sites
across the USA.
Notes: Visit www.DontBuyExxonMobil.org or www.stopEsso.org