Demanding Hayward's Arrest and Permanent Moratorium on Offshore Drilling

Diane Wilson, a fourth generation shrimper from Texas, confronted BP CEO Tony Hayward during his testimony this morning, to advocate for his arrest as well as a permanent moratorium on offshore drilling. She stood up and shouted “Arrest this man, he is a criminal, his company is stealing the livelihoods of thousands of us in the Gulf and killing our coasts. Tony Hayward should be arrested.” Instead, Wilson was arrested and it is unclear when she will be released. Wilson was also arrested in Congress on June 9 for dousing herself with oil to protest BP's dumping on the shrimpers.

Before the hearing Diane made this statement: I came to DC to confront Tony Hayward for the devastation his company has brought to the fishing communities along the gulf. BP is a criminal company that has ignored safety regulations at the health of our oceans and even its own workers. Tony Hayward and BP need to be held accountable for their criminal activities as well as paying every last cent they may have to the families in the Gulf affected by their willful, criminal neglect. Our message to Obama, and Congress: BP must pay to clean up this mess and our government must move to end offshore drilling and move us into a new century of clean energy.” She added, “Pouring a jar of fake oil on myself I can get a year in jail. Tony Hayward's company is pouring millions of gallons of oil into the gulf every day. He should be the one going to jail.”

Wilson is also a co-founder of the organization CODEPINK Women for Peace. She was in front of BP HQ in Houston, Texas three weeks ago to protest the oilspill and draw attention to BP's legacy of negligence. Read her most recent article, “The BP oil gusher is just the latest in a long line of assaults on the Gulf of Mexico” published on Grist.com.

For more info contact Medea Benjamin cofounder of CODEPINK and human rights group Global Exchange at medea@globalexchange.org or call 415-235-6517.