LONDON – Two protesters disrupted a presentation by a Shell official at the ICIS World Base Oils and Lubricants Conference here Thursday, part of a coordinated protest of the oil company’s operations in Nigeria.
The protestors were from a group called Fossil Free London, which also protested Thursday outside the Royal Courts of Justice at the opening of a civil case brought against Shell by the Bille and Ogale communities of Nigeria. The plaintiffs claim Shell failed to prevent or clean up years of spills caused by saboteurs and thieves stealing oil from Shell pipelines.
At the ICIS event, the protesters took to a stage during a presentation by Felix Faber, senior vice president Shell Lubricants in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. As ICIS representatives urged them to leave the stage, the pair sat and chanted ”Justice for Nigeria” and ”Pay up. Clean up.” ICIS cleared the room, and the pair were eventually escorted from the building.
That evening a protester from the same group gained entry to a reception at the Tower of London that was also part of the conference. Security at the tower is tight, and it is not known how the protester evaded it. ICIS officials did not respond to a request for comment.
How the protestors people evaded security at both venues is unclear, especially at the Tower of London, where security is tight.
The Bille and Ogale are two communities living in the Niger River Delta. For years their members and other groups have complained of pollution caused by leaks and spills from pipelines of Shell and other oil companies, alleging that it has contaminated drinking water and farmland. Shell has contended that at least most of the oil comes spills caused by saboteurs or by thieves stealing oil from the pipelines for their own use. Shell also maintains that it cleans up spills regardless of their cause.
The 13,000 Bille and Ogale members who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit say Shell has not done enough to prevent spills and has barely cleaned up spilled oil.
“We recognize that all industries face complex challenges and respect the right to peaceful, open dialogue. Our commitment remains to foster meaningful discussions that support progress, providing a platform for leading the conversation on the green transition,” an ICIS spokesperson told Lube Report.
Fossil Free London did not respond to requests for comment.
(Updated to include comment.)