Last week more than 150 protested at Chevron's annual shareholder meeting, in San Ramon, CA.

Members of the True Cost of Chevron Network from around the world joined union members, shareholders and community leaders to protest Chevron’s activities this year.

While several representatives of Chevron impacted communities were in California with legal proxies to attend the meeting, João Antonio de Moraes, National Coordinator of the United Federation of Oil Workers in Brazil, the country's largest union, was denied access to the meeting based on a supposed paperwork error. He said,

"I traveled across the globe to call on Chevron to increase the safety of its oil rigs and refineries. Being refused access to the meeting underscores the lack of respect Chevron has for the communities where it operates. Chevron's neglect for worker safety and the environment from Brazil to Ecuador, Nigeria to California will not go unanswered."

Many others were not present but sent in statements to be read at the shareholders meeting. Powerful words from community leaders from Angola to the Philippines tell the tales of Chevron’s worst year ever of legal problems, oil spills and fines for reckless business practices. The statements can be read on the True Cost of Chevron Network website.

For more photos of the day of protest, check out our People-to-People blog.

In solidarlity,

P.S. We’ve launched our 2012 “Most Wanted” Human Rights Violators  and Chevron made the list. Read what Chevron has been up to.