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SAN FRANCISCO - February 17 - Two women who climbed up and hung banners from flagpoles outside of Chevron's headquarters this morning were arrested, along with two safety coordinators who had been stationed on the ground. The banners read "No Nigerian Blood for Oil" and "Human Rights before Drilling Rights;" they were part of an international protest against Chevron's role in the deadly repression of protestors in Nigeria. The climbers Shannon Wright and Genevieve Raymond, both of San Francisco, were arrested and charged with felony mischief, trespassing and conspiracy; also arrested were Jon Sellers and Jia Ching Chen, both of Berkeley.

The climbers came down from the flagpoles of their own volition after Chevron officials agreed to the protestors' demand to set a meeting with executives to discuss suspension of operations in Nigeria.

On January 4th the villages of Opia and Ikiyan in Nigeria's Ijawland were razed by soldiers in retaliation for the Ijaw peoples non-violent protests against the oil industry for polluting their lands. There have been 4 confirmed dead and there are 67 presumed dead. Chevron PR spokesman Fred Gorrell admitted that Chevron's boats and helicopters may have been used in the attack but claimed they had no control over their facilities there.

"It is completely unacceptable for Chevron to operate behind a military shield" said Danny Kennedy, Director of Project Underground and spokesperson at the demonstration. "Since May last year we have had Chevron admit to facilitating the murder of nonviolent demonstrators, first on the offshore Parabe platform in Ilaje and now we have evidence that they did it again in Opia and Ikiyan. It is time for them to step back from behind the barrel of a gun and make peace with the communities from whose land they make their profits."

The protest at Chevron HQ followed a day of similar civil disobedience starting in Nigeria with rallies in both the Niger Delta and Lagos; in London against Shell and Washington DC against Mobil, two other companies also heavily invested in Nigeria. In the morning, Nigerian time, a mourning procession was held in the village of Opia for Kekedu Lawuru and Timi Okaro, the two confirmed dead. Banners and placards were held by Ijaw participants reading: "Do People Kill For Oil? Chevron Did in Opia and Ikiyan."

On two separate occasions in the last month, a coalition of human rights groups in the Bay Area, including Global Exchange, Communities for a Better Environment, the International Forum on Globalization and the organizers of today's protest, have asked for a meeting with Chevron executives and held demonstrations at their headquarters. Last week U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Cleveland) called for a Congressional Inquiry into the role of US corporations in ongoing violence in the Niger Delta.