A small but determined group of protesters including some UCL students infiltrated a conference entitled "Petroleum Geology of the Middle East" at the Geological Society in Piccadilly. They got past the front desk before they were pursued, and a few managed to burst into the packed lecture theatre to raise an antiwar banner. Unfortunately they were unable to get very far with their denouncement of the event before being bundled by security and various other people. By now some of the building staff had become a bit hysterical and were creating more pandemonium than the protesters could have hoped to, screaming "get the shit out of here, get the shit out of here" over and over again. Despite being pushed, shoved and dragged around by conference and building staff, the group rallied in the lobby to condemn the Oil industry, at more length. Then they either left the building or were chucked out one by one, to the sound of more shouting and yelling.

Outside they rejoined the rest of the group who had dropped a banner on the railings and were talking to passers-by. An irate conference organiser confronted the protesters outside, accusing them of rudeness in assuming that an application on their part to make their case to the conference would have been rejected. The protesters asked him why none of his speakers had made their case, given the scale of the controversy. The group also expressed scepticism about the idea of an oil industry sponsored attack on the oil industry. The same man then said that the protesters were totally discrediting their cause and turning everyone against them.

One of the geologists from the conference later came out and shook hands with the protesters saying "well done".

Some of the points raised by the protest are reproduced below.

The Petroleum industry appeared hasty to capitalise on the misfortune of the Iraqi people as the US invaded and occupied their country.
In fact the rush had already begun in November 2002. Four months before the war started Lord Browne, head of BP warned that British Oil companies had been squeezed out of post-war Iraq. When the head of Britain's largest corporation makes such a comment he is generating a momentum for war, because the message is simple: Regardless of the legal status of an invasion or the political conditions post-war, BP is "on-board."
After a bloody and illegal war on Iraq, and the installation of a US puppet regime with no democratic credentials whatsoever BP did get on board, securing a major contract as did Shell, Total and ENL among others.
In the north of Iraq, Global Petroleum Ltd, an Australian exploration company has been negotiating directly with the KRG, a Kurdish government which theoretically doesn't exist. This is obviously no problem if the only logical criteria for any decision is the dollar.


The Conference publicity stated that,
"The [Middle East] will be a major centre for production and exploration for decades to come."
No mention of occupation or repression. To present the Middle East as a "challenge and an opportunity" for the Petroleum industry without reference to the human cost of oil-politics is dishonest.
If the Oil industry refuses to examine the political implications of their business, they should be held responsible for the consequences of the conflicts they help to generate.