Jackson Leads Anti-BP March Near Refinery

TEXAS CITY, Texas — The Rev. Jesse Jackson brought his protest of BP PLC to the site of one of the state’s worst refinery accidents Tuesday to speak against what he calls price gouging, discriminatory hiring practices and unsafe working conditions at the company.

He led about 100 spirited followers on a march in front of BP’s Texas City refinery, where 15 workers were killed and more than 170 were injured in an explosion last year.

“We are going to engage in direct action against BP to change their behavior,” Jackson said. “They need to stop energy exploitation, stop manipulating prices and undercutting the American people.”

Late last week federal investigators said that traders at Britain-based BP cornered the U.S. propane market in the winter of 2004 to manipulate prices, which drove up heating costs for rural consumers.

AP