A global boycott of Chevron has called on consumers to stop purchasing gas from the company because of its involvement in Israel’s natural gas industry. Chevron operates and holds interests in the Leviathan and Tamar natural gas fields off the coast of Israel, while organizers with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement argue the operations generate revenue that supports the Israeli government and, in turn, funds the ongoing war in Gaza, according to bdsmovement.net.
As many prepare for their journey home during the 5 p.m. rush hour, Carolyn Krueger and Jehan Mirzaei take this opportunity to highlight the continued violence in Gaza.
Krueger, the co-chair of the Central Coast Anti-War Coalition, has been setting up outside Chevron on Foothill Boulevard and Cabrillo Highway over the last few months, joining the global boycott of Chevron over the company’s involvement in Israel’s natural gas industry.
“So to lease those gas fields and then process the gas, Chevron pays billions of dollars to Israel every year, and that money turns into weapons and IDF for genocide,” Krueger said.
For protesters on the picket line, it’s a chance to have their voices heard while giving those in their cars an opportunity to show their support.
“We think this is one way we can give people who are even just driving or walking by something they can do,” Krueger said. “If they’re against genocide, they can stop going to Chevron rather than just being out and letting people know how we feel. I wanted to give them something they could do.”
The picket isn’t the only way people are joining the cause, as Jehan Mirzaei has used his gift of music to join the fight for activism in support of Palestine.
Mirzaei plays the drums on the corner with a large “Free Gaza” sign attached to his drum set, using music as a way to draw attention to the demonstration.
Mirzaei said he was first introduced to activism through protests surrounding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, where seeing people stand up for him inspired him to do the same for others.
“I saw a lot of people sticking up for me,” Mirzaei said. “I was pretty worried about being taken by ICE maybe a while ago. So when I saw the people standing up for me, I thought, you know, I got to stand up for other people, too.”
Mirzaei explains that playing the drums is solely to get people’s attention, an unconventional method of getting as many eyes as possible on the violence going on in Gaza.
“Maybe someday it will be kind of more accepted, and we will just be doing music and not bombing other countries,” Mirzaei said. “And we’ll have, you know, health care and we’ll have universal basic income, and we can just play music and do art on the side of the road. And it won’t be so weird.”
For Krueger, the demonstration is a reminder that there are people in the community supporting international causes.
“So we kind of like to think of ourselves as the conscience of San Luis Obispo, because I think people go by and they at least feel some reassurance,” Krueger said. “If they’re pro-Palestine or anti-genocide, let’s say, they feel some comfort in seeing people out and making their voices heard.”
Krueger also expressed that supporting the cause also means not ignoring an issue simply because it may be happening thousands of miles away.
“This is a huge challenge for humankind,” Krueger said. “And I don’t think we should turn a blind eye because we’re not directly affected.”
For more information on the weekly demonstrations, visit the Central Coast Anti War Coalition’s on Instagram @centralcoastantiwar