Students Picket Exxon, Economic Forum
Sunday, 3 May 2009By: Nyki Duda
Members of the Left Society staked out day two of the St Andrews Economic Forum (SAEF) yesterday, held in Lower Parliament Hall. The small demonstration was in opposition to oil and gas giant ExxonMobil, one of the forum's sponsors.
Students distributed information to attendees and passerby alike, receiving reactions ranging from concern to fury. One forum goer engaged in a heated discussion with Seema Patel, a fourth year Neuroscience student.
"A student stomped up to me and started shouting that Exxon is helping the nations where they extract
resources with social programs and donations. He didn't acknowledge the company's role in environmental degradation or governmental instability," Patel said.
resources with social programs and donations. He didn't acknowledge the company's role in environmental degradation or governmental instability," Patel said.
But the trouble was not checked at the door. An uproar began inside when Connall McGinley, a protester and Scottish Socialist Party member, attempted to hand out leaflets inside the forum. A paid attendee of the conference, McGinley was threatened with expulsion from Lower Parliament Hall by one of the forum's organizers.
The Society's leaflet cited the corporation as a prominent supporter of climate change denial research and a major generator of pollution. ExxonMobil's projects are responsible for 5% of global carbon emissions.
International Relations student Lukas Ross showing off his placard outside of Lower Parliament Hall. Forum attendees and passersby expressed both support and disdain for the picket.
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