Chevron the Evil Oil Company

Chevron keeps getting drilled by local protestors for the death of a Nigerian protestor back in 1998. Over a hundred Nigerian protestors were sitting on a Chevron drilling platform for three days. Chevron requested that the Nigerian security forces remove them from the situation. This resulted in three injuries and one death. All of the victims of this incident are now seeking compensation from the oil company. The families believe that the protest back in 1998 was peaceful and did not require any police assistance. Chevron claims that the Nigerian protestors were hostile and even took Chevron employees hostage. “The lawsuit claims that Chevron and the security forces “maliciously and systematically violated defendants’ human rights for the purpose and with the effect of suppressing plaintiffs’ peaceful protests”” (PlanetSave.com). American protestors are now stationed in San Francisco on the corner of 9th and Howard. They are there to support the Nigerian families in the human rights trial. “A Nigerian human rights activist who traveled to San Francisco to support his countrymen in the trial against the oil firm said, “We’re here to keep awareness going against Chevron”” (PlanetSave.com).

I think that these protestors are doing a great thing by exercising their right to freedom of speech. The Nigerians who were injured and killed didn’t deserve that. Even if they were being hostile, I don’t believe anyone needed to resort to killing others. The people who are at the protest in San Francisco should continue their mission and then show up at the actual trial, if the public is allowed to attend. This will show their support for their fellow protestors. It is sad that unfortunately, the families involved in the incident probably won’t get enough compensation for their losses. Chevron is an extremely large company and there will be numerous lawyers present. Their chances of winning are very high and it is a shame that these families will not get what they deserve.