Anti-war protesters rally at oil company, dozens arrested
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
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(04-15) 02:21 PDT SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) --
As the Pentagon declared an end to the ground war in Iraq, anti-war protesters took their pleas for peace to the headquarters of one of the world's biggest oil companies.
About 150 to 200 anti-war demonstrators gathered Monday at two entrances outside ChevronTexaco in this suburb east of San Francisco. Police said 59 had been arrested -- one for battery and the rest for obstruction of a roadway -- but the protest was mostly peaceful.
One of the protesters, Mia Iaconi, said she planned to destroy her Chevron gas charge card.
"I am here today to send a message to ChevronTexaco that we are dissatisfied with this corporation," she said.
Employees on their way to work were escorted through the crowd, which included protesters carrying signs such as "No Blood for Oil" and a ragtag marching band. A few counter-protesters also were there, included one with a sign asking: "Protesters, How Did You Get Here?"
Protest groups have said that ChevronTexaco stands to benefit from American access to Iraqi oil supplies.
"There is no reason other than greed for the United States to be in Iraq right now," said protester Vahdat Saadat, a financial anaylst.
A company official denied such accusations.
"The claims of protesters are patently false or misleading at best," said ChevronTexaco spokesman Stan Luckoski.
Tom McKinnon, a geologist working on a contract for ChevronTexaco, said he agreed with the overall goal of the protesters but disagreed with their specific target.
"I'm against the war and I'm against President Bush, but I don't think the oil companies are at fault," he said. "I hate to cross the picket line, I understand why these people are angry. Most of my friends in Chevron are angry about the war as well."
Though anti-war demonstrations have dwindled since U.S. troops reached Baghdad and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein, authorities had said they were worried that Monday's protest might attract a large crowd.
The San Francisco Bay area has been home to some of the nation's largest anti-war protests, but most of the biggest and rowdiest demonstrations have been in San Francisco or Oakland.
The ChevronTexaco headquarters, by contrast, is located in a quiet and comfortable suburb that is usually far removed from the political turbulence of the area's big cities.
