Fossil fuel industry supporting US police groups cracking down on protests
The fossil fuel industry's big corporations, such as Chevron, Shell, Wells Fargo and Marathon Petroleum have been accused of funding powerful police groups amid protests against brutality and racial injustice.
The investigation by the Public Accountability Initiative shows that the companies back police in cities such as Seattle, Chicago, Washington, New Orleans and Salt Lake City.
“This report sheds a harsh light on the ways police violence and systemic racism intersect with the climate crisis,” said Carroll Muffett, the president of the Center for International Environmental Law, as cited by The Guardian.
A spokeswoman for Chevron defended the corporation as a “good neighbor,”claiming that “across the world, Chevron invests millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours on numerous programs and partnerships, helping communities improve their lives, achieve their aspirations and meet their full potential.”
Marathon Petroleum was, meanwhile, more outspoken in its support for the police amid nationwide protests triggered by the death of George Floyd, an African American, killed by a police officer in Minnesota.
“It is our privilege to satisfy the [Detroit] community’s direct requests for more local neighborhood patrols by first responders, through our own contributions and support for fundraising efforts,” it said.
The report was released amid growing calls for defunding the police and relocating its funds into environmental, health and social services.
“Black Lives Matter is about environmental justice, economic justice, racial justice, and about stamping out racism in the criminal justice system,” said Robert Boullard, co-chair of the National Black Environmental Justice Network. “Racism was stamped into America’s DNA. America is segregated, and so is pollution.”
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