Asheville, NC – Leaders of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and community environmentalists gathered in Pack Square, downtown Asheville, on July 17 to demand that BP pay for the disastrous oil spill that continues to devastate the Gulf Coast.

Three months into it, BP is continuing to put corporate interests ahead of the workers and the public. Instead of fully funding cleanup efforts and compensating those who are out of work because of BP’s disaster, BP is using a great deal of money to fund a public relations campaign to convince the public that they are behaving well. BP’s behavior is shocking to Americans because the devastating results are just all too obvious. Eleven dead workers. Tar balls and oil slicks polluting the water and beaches, dead fish, sea turtles and birds. Countless workers driven out of business or left unemployed.

Protesters chanted, “The people over profits! Seize BP!” and “The planet over profits! Seize BP!” while cars honked in solidarity as they passed through downtown. Sarah Buchner, a member of the University of North Carolina at Asheville SDS spoke out saying, “BP ignored crucial safety issues, cut corners and spent millions of dollars lobbying Congress to fight regulations that led to this tragedy in the first place. BP needs to be held accountable and we are demanding full reparations to the coast!”

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