Demonstrators tell 'corporate pirates' Shell and BP: ‘Hands Off Iraqi Oil’

PICTURE OPPORTUNITY: Demonstrators dressed as ‘corporate pirates’ will tour private military security, oil and lobbying companies in protest at the ‘plunder’ of Iraq’s oil. Locations will include Erinys Private Military Security Company, Shell, BP and the International Tax and Investment Centre.

EVENT: Demonstration against multinationals’ oil grab in Iraq as part of a national day of action to say Hands Off Iraqi Oil [2]

DATE: Saturday, 23 February 2008

TIME: 12.30pm-3.00 pm

PLACE: Bond Street tube station, Bond Street, London W1 . The demonstration will be moving off at 1.00 pm. For details of the itinerary and timings phone Jonathan Stevenson on 07818 651124.

Five years since the invasion of Iraq, campaigners protest against plans by international oil companies including the UK’s Shell and BP, to control the development, production and depletion of Iraq's oil reserves. Protestors will target Shell and BP petrol stations UK-wide and hold a 'piratical tour' of 'corporate occupiers' in London on Saturday 23 February

Such an effective privatisation of Iraq's key natural resource is opposed by Iraq's trade unions, many senior Iraqi oil experts and most Iraqis. [3]

The demonstrators warn 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.

British oil companies Shell and BP have been lobbying for control of Iraqi oil since 2003. They have been steering Iraqi oil legislation since July 2006. Both companies worked on Iraq's Hydrocarbon Law and had access to it for a full 8 months before it was released to Iraqi MPs. [4]

Iraqi trade unions say the law will allow oil companies power over new fields for 25 years, with the country's economy run by overseas firms. Iraqi unions are still illegal almost five years since the "pro-democracy" invasion and occupation of Iraq. According to the unions, the proposed law would surrender Iraq's economic sovereignty, undermine the development of Iraq's workforce and increase unemployment.

Jonathan Stevenson, from Iraq Occupation Focus, said: "Shell and BP should be seen as corporate pirates for their push to control Iraq's oil under occupation. Iraqi oil is a public resource - not war loot for Shell and BP".

Ruth Tanner, of War on Want, said: "On the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, oil companies like Shell and BP aim to exploit war and occupation to take control of the country's oil. Pushing oil privatisation against the wishes of the majority of the Iraqi people is putting corporate profit before public need."

End

CONTACTS:

Paul Collins, War on Want: (+44) (0)20 7549 0584, (+44) (0)7983 550728

Jonathan Stevenson, Iraq Occupation Focus (+44) (0)7818 651124

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Protests are happening in the following towns and cities:

UK - Bangor, Bath, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Hastings, Halifax (Calderdale), Kilmarnock, Kingston, King’s Heath, Knighton, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool (x2), London, Manchester, Norwich, Sherborne, Southend, St Andrews Scotland, Stevenage and Yeovil

USA - Washington DC and Dallas, Texas.

Netherlands – Amsterdam

Contact details and locations for the above protests are listed at www.handsoffiraqioil.org

[2] Hands Off Iraqi Oil is a UK coalition opposing any foreign exploitation of Iraq’s oil reserves that rips off the Iraqi people. Members include Corporate Watch, Iraq Occupation Focus, Jubilee Iraq, PLATFORM, Voices UK and War on Want. For more information on the campaign please visit www.handsoffiraqioil.org

[3] A poll commissioned in August 2007 found that two in three Iraqis opposed their resources being developed by private companies and only 4% felt they had been totally adequately informed about the content of the proposed oil law. www.handsoffiraqioil.org/2007/08/iraqis-oppose-oil-development-plans.html. Top Iraqi oil experts also called for the signing of long-term deals to be delayed until Iraq had full sovereignty www.handsoffiraqioil.org/2007/07/letter-from-iraqi-oil-experts-to.html

[4] Freedom of Information revelations showed Foreign Office promotion of Shell and BP interests in Iraq www.carbonweb.org/showitem.asp?article=257&parent=39%20

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Erinys' response Read Erinys' response to War on Want's press release [pdf]