Protesters Plan to Occupy BP Station on Houston Friday Night

kchbrown's Flickr

If you're feeling a need to vent about this whole oil spill nightmare, there's some direct action protest planned for Friday night at the BP station on Houston Street between Broadway and Lafayette. According to this Facebook event, the progressive activist group Code Pink has a hand in organizing the demonstration, set for 6 p.m. "on the Friday before Memorial Day, as the good citizens of New York gather to gas up for a three day weekend, we will direct their business AWAY from BP." For you convenience, there are two protest options: night in the Tombs or night out of the Tombs:

If you would like to avoid interactions with police, please stay on the public sidewalk edging the gas station. If you would like to wear a costume or risk arrest (by helping block the gas pumps more or less aggressively), or can help with props, please RSVP to Sally Newman at scnewman@gmail.com.
Please join us. Dress up as your favorite sea creature or mermaid (or carry signs, stuffed animals, etc). Bring your righteous anger and your friends. (Ideas: BP Spills, BP Kills, British Polluter, Cap Oil Wells Not Liability, etc)

Of course, there's always dissent among dissidents. One person posts in response, "Wouldn't this just affect the owner and employees of this particular gas station, people who have little if anything to do with the actions of the actual corporation? It might be wiser to protest in front of their headquarters." But that's probably in midtown somewhere, and this BP station is super conveniently located for most of us!

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on May 27, 2010 4:55 PM

Comments [rss]

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Wish I could attend but driving to Atlantic City right now.

bagelman

i wonder if there's protest insurance? if so, i'd say go for it.

Dolomite

Isn't that where all the taxis go to gas up? This should be quite entertaining.

Especially since the cops are all ready and shit.

usernamee

two things make me embarrassed to be a liberal:

dressing up in costumes to protest anything and puppetry for social justice.

Politburo

Code Pink are loonies, not liberals.

Mr Mel

Make it 3, add Mimes.

5borough

IV)Bongos.

theevilone

Ooooh costumes! Then they'll take you seriously!

How 'bout taking the money you'll spend on costumes and bail and donate it to the rescue groups helping the animals there?

WesTheYeTi

Who's up for a Zoolander-esque Gasoline fight?!

estragon

Anyone who participates in this event is an imbecile. Harassing some poor guys who work at a local gas station isn't going to touch anyone in the BP corporate offices in Houston, TX or Warrenville, IL. The wannabe "activists" get to pretend they're doing something meaningful and important, but all they accomplish is giving those corporate types an excuse to write off all progressives and environmentalists as a bunch of ineffectual clowns. Oh, plus the fun of venting and hurling abuse at a guy who operates a gas pump!

MrManhattan

Sounds like someone's jealous that their boss is going to make them work after six on a Friday on a holiday weekend, and they won't get to party with the girls in the mermaid outfits.

So sad!

longacre

It might be wiser to protest in front of their headquarters." But that's probably in midtown somewhere, and this BP station is super conveniently located for most of us!
It's in London, actually, being British Petroleum and all. Their US HQ is in Houston.

Amanda Harletsch

I would say guillotine!

The FKRS!

what scares me the most in all this evil reckless mess is how they are pouring thousands of hundreds of gallons of thinners/solvents into the sea!

Like making it invisible to the human eye is actually diminishing toxicity, while doing the exact opposite...so fkn retarded and so totally unethical!

The EPA has already condemn the use of such levels of solvents and BP keeps pouring more shit into the sea...

I see hell coming!

zgaller

itd be really great if we could have some direct action. the only problem with this it that the franchise owner still has to pay his rent. doing this would only really end up hurting him or her, not bp.

just saying

Yeah, I don't see how boycotting one gas station will be effective. It'll only harm some small gas station owner who had nothing whatsoever to do with any of BP's corporate decisions.

A couple of weeks ago, there was some group called the ANSWER Coalition demonstrating against BP outside JPMorgan Chase Hdqrs @ Park & 48th. The Answer Coalition chose JPMorgan because they are a major shareholder holding almost 30% of BP stock. JPMorgan would appear to a better target.

http://nycal.mayfirst.org/node/220

zgaller

guess i should have read the whole article before writing this

JenChungsBaby

The placement of the BP sign in that picture is perfect subliminal advertising.

schwarz

Direct action, YUS! However, leave it to liberals to A) telecast their intention to engage in direct action and thereby ensure that the police will be there to stop it and B) ask people to dress up like FRICKEN turtles!

What is this Seattle 1999? We haven't yet moved on from idiot pastel costumes that make protests look like a lame Phish concert? This is NYC, wear ninja damnit!