The BDS Movement Renews Its Campaign Against Chevron

Above photo: BDS organizers protest at a Chevron Houston Marathon promotional event. @yasharsphotos.

‘Chevron Fuels Apartheid And Environmental Devastation.’

BDS National Committee’s Olivia Katbi talks to Mondoweiss about the movement’s boycott campaign against Chevron.

In January, the BDS National Committee (BNC) renewed its call for a boycott of the fossil fuel company Chevron.

The organization had originally called for a boycott of Chevron in 2020 after it became the main operator of fossil gas claimed by Israel in the Eastern Mediterranean. However, the new call has expanded the boycott to Chevron gas stations and the company’s affiliates, which include Texaco and Caltex.

“During the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, a movement to boycott Shell oil for its complicity in apartheid gained worldwide momentum, with supporters taking part in gas/petrol station pickets and major divestment campaigns from the fossil fuel company. Inspired by the South African liberation struggle, the Palestinian-led BDS movement aims to build pressure on Chevron until it no longer conducts business that gravely violates our human rights and benefits Israel’s genocidal apartheid regime,” read a statement from the BNC.

“We reiterate our call upon supporters of Palestinian rights worldwide to build and strengthen intersectional #BoycottChevron partnerships with the climate justice movement and the many communities and Indigenous peoples around the world who are exposing and resisting the colonial violence of Chevron’s extractivism, environmental destruction and grave human rights violations,” it continued.

Mondoweiss U.S. correspondent Michael Arria, spoke with Olivia Katbi, North America Coordinator for the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement (BNC), on the campaign, how the BNC lands on its targets, and actions that people are taking against Chevron.

Mondoweiss: What led the BNC to call for a boycott of Chevron, what’s their connection to Israel?

Katbi: Chevron has been the main international actor extracting fossil gas claimed by Israel in the Eastern Mediterranean since it acquired Noble Energy in 2020. With its extracting activities, Chevron is implicated in Israel’s policy and practice of depriving the Palestinian people of their right to sovereignty over their natural resources. Chevron’s extraction activities generate billions of dollars in revenue for Israel and its war chest, helping to fund its ongoing genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, as well as its regime of settler-colonialism, apartheid and military occupation.

Chevron fuels apartheid and environmental devastation. In 2022 alone, Chevron made an estimated $1.5 billion in revenue from Tamar and Leviathan gas sales, and contributed $462 million USD in taxes to Israel. Chevron and its partners also announced in August 2024 an additional $429 million investment in the Leviathan field.

Chevron has been a divestment target since 2022, but we added it as a boycott target after Israel’s Gaza genocide began, and we’ve already seen campaigns and actions around the world at Chevron gas stations, refineries, and corporate offices as well as Chevron’s university partnerships and event sponsorships. The International Alliance of App-Based Transport Workers (IAAWT) (100,000 members strong in 20 countries) voted to boycott Chevron branded gas stations in the spring of 2024.

There’s obviously many companies connected to Israel in some capacity. What is the process for the BNC determining which ones become official targets of BDS?

The BDS movement uses the historically successful method of targeted boycotts inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, the U.S. Civil Rights movement, the Indian anti-colonial struggle, among others worldwide. We strategically focus on a relatively smaller number of carefully selected companies and products for maximum impact. We target companies that play a clear and direct role in Israel’s crimes and where there is real potential for winning, as was the case with, among others, G4S, Veolia, Orange, Ben & Jerry’s, and Pillsbury. Compelling large, complicit companies, through strategic and context-sensitive boycott and divestment campaigns, to end their complicity in Israeli apartheid and war crimes against Palestinians sends a very powerful message to hundreds of other complicit companies that “your time will come, so get out before it’s too late!”

Chevron entered the Israeli market in 2020; it can just as easily exit. Therefore, we see this as a winnable campaign. The Chevron campaign also has an easy way for consumers to be involved and apply pressure, by boycotting, picketing, and engaging with local gas stations. This tactic is inspired by the Shell boycott during the South African anti-apartheid movement. Other complicit companies with gas stations, like Valero, are on the divestment list. But to be successful in our boycott campaigning against Chevron, we need to focus on one company at a time.

How can consumers support the boycott?

The Chevron boycott campaign is inspired by the Shell boycott campaign that took place during the South African anti apartheid movement. Shell faced a massive boycott and divestment campaign, from consumers to universities to major trade union leaders. Some Shell gas station franchisees disaffiliated from the company.

The easiest way for people to join the campaign to boycott Chevron is by signing the Boycott Pledge, and sharing the pledge with family and friends, and as far and wide as possible. They can also work with their local BDS or Palestine solidarity group to organize campaigns around Chevron gas stations, event sponsorships, and university partnerships, and by keeping an eye on the BDS movement website and social media platforms for upcoming actions. Our partners at the American Friends Service Committee have created a helpful map with Chevron locations.

Even if your area has no physical Chevron connections, your university or your state might have investments in Chevron. We also have a toolkit for engaging with gas station owners.The BDS movement calls on supporters to maintain the boycott until Chevron no longer conducts business that gravely violates Palestinian human rights and benefits Israel’s genocidal apartheid regime.

Last month you had a week of action connected to this effort. Can you talk about some of the actions taken and how people are pushing the boycott in their communities?

Since launching the campaign, organizations around the world have joined the coalition including Oil and Gas Action Network, the Democratic Socialists of America, American Friends Service Committee, the Union of People Affected by Chevron-Texaco – UDAPT, and many regional and local Palestine and climate justice organizations from Ecuador, the US, Australia and elsewhere.

Prior to the week of action, in May, activists organized an “Anti-Chevron Month” to highlight Chevron’s human rights abuses in Palestine, Ecuador, California, and beyond. The month of mobilization included an entire week of actions in Ecuador, an international webinar with global leaders sharing stories of Chevron’s atrocities; a kayak action at Chevron’s Richmond refinery, support for the launch of a Polluters Pay tax in Richmond, and a disruption of Chevron’s annual shareholders meeting at the company’s former global headquarters in San Ramon, CA.

Our global week of action took place from September 20-27, during which climate justice groups and human rights activists held 15 events in the U.S. and around the world targeting Chevron for its role in fueling grave violations of Palestinian human rights and a number of notable figures and influencers supported the #BoycottChevron campaign and pledge (which now has 18,000 signatures) on their platforms throughout the week, including: Greta Thunberg, Naomi Klein, Steven Donziger, Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Illesha Magdelena, Suchitra Vijayan, and Fridays for Future.

Has there been any response from Chevron over the campaign? Have they attempted to counter it in any way?

So far, the most recent comment from Chevron about their partnership with Israel is related to their August $429m additional investment in Leviathan: “Chevron is pleased to partner with the State of Israel, and we look forward to supporting the country’s strategy to develop its energy resources for the benefit of the country and the region.”

Details on actions around the world:

• Herzliya: Anti-Zionist Jewish-Israeli activists chained themselves to the entrance of Chevron’s office in Herzliya, chanting “Chevron Chevron you can’t hide, you are fueling genocide.” X threads containing photos and video here and here. Press statement is available here. Activists who participated are available for interviews.
• Adelaide, Australia: Community members launched a campaign to boycott Caltex (Chevron-owned) gas stations, and held a picket at a local Caltex station: Instagram.
• Belfast, Northern Ireland: Activists put up crime scene tape at a Texaco gas station (Chevron-owned) in Belfast to protest Chevron’s support for Israel’s crimes in Gaza: Instagram.
• San Ramon, CA: Bay Area organizers hung a large-scale banner reading “the genocide energy company” on Chevron’s San Ramon headquarters: Instagram, X. Activists also took to the water in boats and released a floating banner reading “#BoycottChevron: No Fuel for Genocide.”
• Houston, TX: Organizers protested at a Chevron Houston Marathon promotional event: Instagram. Organizers also held a number of other #BoycottChevron actions throughout the week, including a banner drop and protest: Instagram + photos.
• NYC: On September 23, activists was arrested holding a #BoycottChevron banner alongside other climate advocates blocking the entrance of CitiBank’s New York offices (a Chevron funder). On September 26, activists joined the Arrest Netanyahu March with a #BoycottChevron banner and materials. Photos & videos here.
• San Diego, CA: On September 20 activists protested Chevron’s sponsorship of TwitchCon: Instagram posts here and here. On September 27 organizers also held a protest at a local Chevron gas station: Instagram.
• Santa Cruz, CA: Community members launched a campaign to boycott local Chevron gas stations and picketed outside of a Chevron station: Instagram.
• Washington, DC: Organizers delivered the #BoycottChevron pledge letter to employees at Chevron’s lobbying office in Washington DC: Photos.
• Denver, CO: Activists protested outside of Chevron’s corporate office in Denver: Instagram.
• Colorado School of Mines: Students handed out #BoycottChevron materials at a campus recruitment event that included Chevron. Photos.
• Maui, HI: Community members launched a campaign to boycott local Chevron and Texaco (Chevron-owned) gas stations: Instagram.
• Wenatchee, WA: Community members launched a campaign to boycott local Chevron gas stations, and held pickets on five weeknights throughout the week: Instagram announcement and picket photos.
• Tri-Cities, WA: Community members launched a campaign to boycott local Chevron gas stations, and held multiple picket events: Instagram.
• Island County, WA: Community members held a gas station protest: Photos.
• Birmingham, AL: DSA members and community members have launched a campaign to boycott local Chevron gas stations: Instagram.
• Boycott Caltex Australia (online webinar): “Ecocide, Genocide, and Homocide: The Crimes of Chevron and Caltex:” Instagram.
• Democratic Socialists of America (online webinar): “#StopFuelingGenocide Campaign Launch Call,” featuring Steven Donziger and other speakers: Instagram.