Protesters picket Shell station

[Ogoni Solidarity Network <ogoni@vcn.bc.ca>]

  from the North Shore News (North Vancouver)
  Wednesday, October 2nd, 1997, page 2
  
  Protesters picket Shell station
  
  Group thanks North Van City for support
  
  by Andrew McCredie
  Associate Editor
  
  A protest at Lonsdale Avenue and 13th Street in North Vancouver was both a
  proactive and reactive move by the Ogoni Solidarity Network (OSN). 
  
  The Vancouver-based group dedicated to raising awareness about the ongoing
  plight of the 500,000 Ogoni people in Nigeria set up shop at a Lonsdale
  Shell station as part of a rotating protest at stations throughout the
  Lower Mainland. 
  
  The group's visit to the North Shore, according to OSN spokesman Scott
  Pegg, was also a way of thanking North Vancouver City council for
  championing the Ogoni people. 
  
  On March 17 of this year, North Vancouver City council took the popular
  credo "think global, act local" to heart as they directed staff not to buy
  Shell gas or have any dealings with Shell Canada or its parent company
  Shell International. 
  
  "We have to take a stand on corporations, against the way Shell has raped
  the Ogoni people," said Coun. Barbara Perrault during discussions in
  March. The motion was passed unanimously. 
  
  According to the Wall Street Journal, Shell International has removed $30
  billion worth of oil in the Ogoni region in Nigeria since 1958. The Ogoni
  people still live without electricity and clean drinking water. 
  
  Greenpeace International reports that 40% of Shell's oil spills has
  occurred in Nigeria between 1982 and 1992. 
  
  In addition, the dictatorship that rules Nigeria gets 80% of its annual
  revenue from oil accounts, a staggering US$ 11 million a day. In January,
  Shell admitted that it had imported weapons for the Nigerian police to
  protect oil installations. 
  
  And while Pegg can't say for sure, he believes North Vancouver's March
  actions played an integral part in Vancouver's recent decision to not
  renew its fuel contract with Shell. 
  
  [The article is accomapanied by two photos. The first has the caption: 
  "Passerby Billie Drew (left) talks with Eesmyal Santos-Brault (centre) and
  Kevin Hudson of the Ogoni Solidarity Network." Eesymal and Kevin are both
  holding placards that read, respectively, "Shell is detroying the
  Ogoniland environment" and "Coming soon ... Shell ... 1st South Africa,
  2nd Nigeria, 3rd Peru." The second photo's caption reads, "Scott Pegg,
  Hannah Askew, Julie Fieldhouse and Adam Fraser take their message to
  Lonsdale Avenue on Saturday in protest of Shell's ongoing involvment with
  the corrupt dictatorship in Nigeria." Scott's placard reads, "This oil
  uses Ogoni blood" while the rest are holding our giant banner which says,
  "Shell Drills, Nigeria Kills."]
  --------------------------------------
  
  The Ogoni Solidarity Network of Vancouver
  ... grassroots action to save Ogoniland ... 
     (604) 873-8554 * ogoni@vcn.bc.ca
  
  "Lord take my soul, but the struggle continues ..."
  -- Ken Saro-Wiwa, 1941-1995