In Honor of Struggles Against the Extraction Industry Everywhere,

In Memory of the Workers Whose Lives Were Taken By BP Two Years Ago,

Join Us In Saying:

“CLEAN AIR AND WATER FOR ALL”

“TAKE BACK EARTH DAY!”

LET’S SHUT DOWN THE TAR SANDS AND BLOCKADE AN OIL REFINERY!


What: A festival of resistance and alternatives to the fossil fuel economy, in the shadow of the Houston Valero refinery, culminating in a refinery blockade.

When: April 19th – 24th

Where: Hartmann Park, Manchester Neighborhood, Houston, TX

Why:

The Alberta Tar Sands project is uprooting and poisoning Indigenous people in Canada while destroying the ancient boreal forests that are their home. The huge amount of carbon released will seriously worsen global climate change. The Keystone XL Pipeline will take oil from one of the most ecologically devastating projects on the face of the planet to Houston.

In Houston it will be refined by Valero and other companies. These refineries are surrounded by working-class neighborhoods throughout the Gulf, bringing cancer-causing toxins directly into their backyards. The majority of the Tar Sands oil processed in these refineries will be shipped overseas, ensuring that North American oil workers and those whose rights and lives have been uprooted by these companies won’t even see any long-term benefit for themselves.

Meanwhile, two years after the Deep Water Horizon explosion that killed 11 workers and devastated the communities of the Gulf, BP has had a record year of profits. BP has escaped justice yet again in its recent legal victory against the shrimpers and fishermen who they've put out of work and the families of the workers who died under their watch.

We invite those who oppose the Tar Sands Project and who want clean air, water and soil for all to come down to Houston for a festival of resistance and alternatives to the fossil fuel economy. Let’s continue to build the power of our communities, amplify the voices of those most affected by companies like Valero, and join together in nonviolent direct action to blockade a refinery.

Friday, April 20th will be the beginning of a historic escalation in the battle for our rights to clean air and water, the struggle to bring justice to those who wreak havoc on Gulf communities, and the fight to stop these companies from destroying the planet.

We plan to wake up an oil refinery Saturday and Sunday too, escalating our blockade as necessary. And we will use our rights to public assembly and protest—rights that have been under increasing attack.

Waves of support will be welcome and needed.


How You Can Participate:



We need it all. There are as many levels of involvement and risk as there are individuals, affinity groups, and organizations willing to participate.

Not everyone will want to risk arrest by participating in the refinery blockade. That’s OK. However, many people are willing and able to take that risk. We appreciate all levels of commitment.

There will be room and plans for those who wish to cooperate with the police, and there will be room and plans for those who do not wish to cooperate with the police that wish to engage in jail solidarity tactics. Come prepared to tell us what you want to do.

Contribute to the Festival: Anyone who has a desire and ability to teach a class or hold a training as part of this event should contact us. Want to present a workshop or training? Please contact our Recruitment, Training, and Personnel Committee at: otmrecruitmentandtraining[at]riseup[dot]net

Offer Material Support: Donate through our website, offer a rideshare or bring a bus, bring medical supplies, donate or bring food, come prepared to cook food, bring educational materials like zines and books! Able to contribute materials for this campaign? Please contact the Logistics Committee at: otmlogistics[at]riseup[dot]net Able to contribute monetary support? Please contact the Fundraising Committee at: otmfundraising[at]riseup[dot]net

Be the Media: Bring your own video camera or audio recording equipment, blog on site, bring portable wireless devices, write articles, embed reporters with us! Interested in contributing to the media team? Contact our Communications and Outreach Committee at: otmcommunications[at]riseup[dot]net

Be the Blockade/Bring the Blockade: Come prepared with others to participate in non-violent direct action. Once you arrive, we will train you in the tactics and strategy we plan to use to sustain this blockade. Bring puppets, bring inflatables, bring signs, bring anything that could be useful.
Come in caravans, bring your friends. Have questions about joining the blockade? Contact the Recruitment, Training, and Personnel Committee at: otmrecruitmentandtraining[at]riseup[dot]net

--The Occupy the Machine Coalition

Visit our website for more info: http://occupythemachine.wordpress.com/

Have general questions, comments, or not sure where to direct your query? Contact us and let us know at occupythemachine[at]riseup[dot]net!

what the hell is this:
"The huge amount of carbon released will seriously worsen global climate change."
as is what?
the climategate fraud about carbon trading?

If you want to see a general die-off of the world's marginalized and poor populations, just increase the price of food and energy.
It's called Genocide.

......how will anAL GOREtentive be able to afford electricity for his $10 million California seaside mansion if we don't keep the 3rd world underdeveloped and in the dark?

you know...lord scum and lord gore have much in common
a total disregard for almost everyone and a kind of fawning hatred for those who have cashed in on the system better than them...
almost as bad as the dupes who fall for the 'climate change' menace. Climate change will never bring about as much chaos as criminal greed in the guise of a tax on and the trade of, carbon...the cost of food, production and transportation.l
It will kill billions through starvation if they can have it their way.

.....i never 'cashed in' by trying to peddle a load of alarmist hoss shit like that aforementioned anAL GOREtentive did...can't imagine him doing anything else really.....but i take your point...he and his 'warmistas' and their agenda of 'sustainable development' is Malthusian to the core...and would keep half the world at a subsistence level and stagnation for years to come if it was ever implemented.....by the way,I have nothing in common at all with that flaming asshole

for a zionist shill to try and tell us that:
"..i never 'cashed in' by trying to peddle a load of alarmist hoss shit"
is itself a load of horse flop.
oh, and it's too bad you weren't able to cash in, lord scum...
maybe you'll have better luck being a lord
ha ha

It's not 'fossil fuel' to begin with unless you're talking about coal, perhaps, as the evidence is still not in about the riddle of hydrocarbons.
It's the lack of regulation in the industry, the contrived bottleneck of the cracking plants and the manipulated supply of petroleum through the trilateral cartel that are driving the cost of use and the ravages of this technology. Then we have financial price speculation and inflation brought about by the global banking menace.
At the center of these webs of banking interests are a gaggle of self appointed 'lords' who exist by manipulating the governments of the world through their shadow financial links.
Their stated goal is to break up the nation states of the world into feudal warlord ruled regions under their control.