Demonstrators in ‘stop Iraq oil raid’ call

All pictures by Agnieszka Legierska

Iraqi minister Dr Hussain Al-Shahristani and UK minister Malcolm Wicks spoke at the conference, which was financed by the British companies BP and Shell, as well as ExxonMobil and StatoilHydro.

Demonstrators warned that Iraq would lose billions of pounds in oil income under a proposed new law which the British and US governments are pressing the Baghdad administration to sign. The law will allow oil companies power over new oil fields for 25 years, with the country’s economy run by overseas firms. A majority of Iraqis oppose the sell off.

Stop the theft of Iraq's oil Help us to ensure that Iraq is not robbed of its resources at its time of greatest need and donate to our appeal.

Film: Iraqis say 'Hands off our oil' Hassan Juma'a, President of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions discusses the Iraqi oil law, along with Greg Muttitt of Platform and War on Want's Nadia Idle.

War on Want supports the Iraqi oil workers War on Want supports all Iraqi trade unionists in their campaign against the hugely unpopular privatisation of Iraqi oil and their struggle to improve working conditions for oilworkers.

Hands Off Iraqi Oil War on Want is a member of Hands Off Iraqi Oil, a new UK-based campaign coalition that aims to stop international oil companies seizing control of Iraq’s resources at the expense of the Iraqi people.

Download Crude Designs – The Rip-off of Iraq’s oil wealth [PDF] Find out more about the background to the oil law in War on Want's joint report with Platform.