Richmond protest at Chevron refinery denounces U.S. military actions in Venezuela

Protesters gathered Saturday outside the Chevron Richmond Refinery to denounce U.S. military actions in Venezuela and accuse the oil giant of profiting from war, environmental damage, and political influence, chanting slogans such as “no blood for oil” at a demonstration organized by the Oil and Gas Action Network.

The protest, held at the front gate of the Richmond Chevron Refinery, drew environmental activists, anti-war organizers, and local political figures who linked foreign policy, fossil fuel extraction, and long-standing community grievances with Chevron’s presence in Richmond.

“When I say no blood, you say for oil,” organizer Ilonka Zlatar told the crowd. “No blood.”

Zlatar, a climate justice organizer with the Oil and Gas Action Network, said the protest was organized in response to recent U.S. actions in Venezuela, which demonstrators described as illegal and driven by access to oil reserves. Zlatar accused Chevron of benefiting from the conflict while communities abroad and at home bear the costs.

“We are here in front of the Richmond Chevron refinery,” Zlatar said, calling Chevron “the one oil company” that remained in Venezuela after other firms left. 

“They are scared of us,” Zlatar said, alleging the company covered its logos and deployed police to restrict access near the gates.

Speakers repeatedly tied international conflicts to Chevron’s environmental record in Richmond.

“Chevron is not a good neighbor. This is not an energy company, this is a criminal enterprise,” said Paul Paz y Miño, deputy director of Amazon Watch, citing Chevron’s pollution in Ecuador and its continued oil operations despite climate concerns. 

“Every single drop of that oil is illegal,” Paz y Miño said, referring to Venezuelan crude.

Local activists emphasized Richmond’s decades-long struggle with refinery pollution and political influence. Melvin Willis, lead organizer with the Richmond Progressive Alliance, described growing up preparing for shelter-in-place orders due to chemical spills.

“I see a company that is poisoning communities,” Willis said. “As long as it’s profitable for them, they’re going to do whatever they need to.”

Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez also addressed the crowd, framing corporate power as a threat to democracy and public welfare. He began by recounting the unusual circumstances under which he prepared his remarks.

“I was in the bathtub thinking, what can I say today?” Martinez said, drawing laughter before launching into a critique of corporate political influence. 

Martinez referenced the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, arguing it reshaped democracy in favor of corporations.

“Citizens United designated corporations to be people,” Martinez said. “What they did was create Frankensteins, wielding gilded daggers to rip out the soul of the government. They want to murder Lady Liberty so they can reanimate her as their bride, Mrs. Frankenstein, with their moneyed megaphones. They want to drown out the voice of the people, but we know that our voice, united, is much louder.”

Martinez accused Chevron of exercising unchecked power while avoiding accountability for environmental harm in Richmond and elsewhere. Martinez said the city should not have to plead with corporations for basic protections.

“We will not beg Chevron to give us what is rightfully ours,” he said. “The health, the environment, the Earth, the water, the air, it’s ours. They are commons that belong to all of us.”

The demonstration concluded with chants, songs, and a brief march toward another refinery gate, as organizers encouraged attendees to remain active beyond the day’s event.

“We need clean air, not another billionaire,” protesters chanted as the rally wound down.

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