60 Arrested in Protest at Chevron Building

Police arrested 60 protesters against the Persian Gulf War today when about 300 people staged a peaceful demonstration in a failed bid to shut down oil giant Chevron Corp.’s world headquarters.

Police in riot gear began arresting some of the about 100 demonstrators gathered in front of the building at about 7:35 a.m., while across busy Market Street the rest of the group banged drums and shouted “No Blood for Oil!”

The arrests were for obstructing the sidewalks and failure to disperse at an unlawful assembly, a police spokesman said.

“Chevron is the No. 1 supplier of oil to the military, and what does that mean? It means war is profitable!” said protest organizer Doug Spalding, just before police moved in for arrests.

The demonstration lasted less than two hours.

The milling crowd included a man dressed in a turtle suit bearing a placard reading, “Turtles against extinction. Stop the war.”

Nick Davis, a 26-year-old musician from Oakland, said large corporations like Chevron are to blame for the war in the gulf.

“Some people say it’s (President) Bush just being aggressive,” Davis said. “But in my opinion, it’s a standing policy of the corporations.”

After the arrests were completed, about 200 of the remaining demonstrators marched past the Pacific Stock Exchange and wound up at Justin Herman Plaza. Riot police followed the procession, warning protesters that they would be arrested if they walked in the street.

Organizers said the protest forced Chevron to send headquarter employees home for the day. But a receptionist laughed at the suggestion and said employees were arriving at work.

Chevron reacted angrily to the protest.

“It’s unfortunate that Chevron has become a lightning rod for the frustration of anti-war protesters,” a statement said. “As we have said many times, Chevron does not own or produce oil in the Persian Gulf, contrary to the claims of the demonstrators.

“Chevron . . . simply purchases crude oil from Saudi Arabia--and dozens of other countries around the world, “ the statement said.