Local residents demand protection of California’s beaches and economy as part of statewide day of protests against Trump Administration’s plans
Ventura, CA— Local residents will rally in Ventura on Saturday, Feb. 3, to protest the Trump Administration proposal to open the U.S. coastal waters, including those off California, to oil and gas drilling. The event starts with a rally at Ventura City Hall, then a walk to the beach, gathering at the Ventura Pier for Hands Across the Sand — a drone photo of participants linking hands. The local protest is part of a statewide day of action in coastal communities that would be hardest hit by Washington’s offshore drilling proposal.
The federal government has scheduled a single public hearing in Sacramento on Feb. 8, far from the coastal communities that would be affected by offshore drilling. Participants will be encouraged to submit public comments and join a Feb. 8 protest in Sacramento.
Local rallies, like the one in Ventura, give communities a much-needed platform to voice their concerns and send a strong message to Washington that Californians oppose what they see as a reckless plan to endanger the coastline, marine life and local economy.
WHAT: Protect Our Coast Rally and Hands Across the Sand
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 3, 12:00 pm to 2:00pm
WHERE: 12:00 pm: Rally at Ventura City Hall with local speakers, 12:45 pm: Gather at beach, just north of Ventura Pier for Hands Across the Sand.
WHO: Food & Water Watch, CFROG – Citizens for Responsible Oil & Gas, Sacred Places Institute, Ocean Protectors: Coalition of Native Nations & Indigenous Peoples, Ventura Sierra Club, Surfrider – Ventura County Chapter
VISUALS: Speakers at City Hall noon rally, colorful signs, large letters spelling out “Protect Our Coast”; link hands across the sand for a drone photo (12:45 pm).
Background: On Jan. 4, the Trump administration released a draft plan to sell decades-long oil and gas leases in U.S. waters. The proposal was met by fierce opposition from local, state, and federal leaders in almost every coastal state. That includes lawmakers in California, where a massive oil spill in 1969 devastated Santa Barbara’s coastal habitat and set in motion a ban on new drilling in state waters that became law in 1994.
There have not been any new leases in federal waters since 1984. Oil drilling remains deeply unpopular in California, where seven out of 10 people oppose new offshore drilling, according to a July 2017 survey from the Public Policy Institute of California. Tourism, recreation and fishing along California’s coast generate nearly $20 billion a year and support 400,000 jobs.
In January, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution opposing the new offshore leasing plan.
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