{"id":46036,"date":"2026-01-12T11:54:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T19:54:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=46036"},"modified":"2026-01-12T11:54:41","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T19:54:41","slug":"protests-against-ice-and-u-s-intervention-in-venezuela-held-in-berkeley-at-chevron-station-and-i-80-overpass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/01\/12\/protests-against-ice-and-u-s-intervention-in-venezuela-held-in-berkeley-at-chevron-station-and-i-80-overpass\/","title":{"rendered":"Protests against ICE and U.S. intervention in Venezuela held in Berkeley at Chevron station and I-80 overpass"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The protests this weekend were part of nationwide wave of resistance following the capture of the Venezuelan president and an ICE officer\u2019s fatal shooting of Renee Good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

by\u00a0Sara Martin<\/a>Jan. 11, 2026 (Berkeleyside.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Berkeley resident Tobey Weibe, 92, protests against Chevron following the U.S. intervention in Venezuela Jan. 3 by President Trump, who captured Nicolas Maduro. Weibe\u2019s sign, \u201cImperialist America is humanity\u2019s number one enemy,\u201d was used by her late husband to protest the war in Iraq in 2003. Credit: Sara Martin for Berkeleyside<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

People in Berkeley waved signs at drivers from a highway overpass and set up outside a Chevron gas station this weekend to protest<\/a> the fatal shooting of a woman<\/a> in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer and the Trump administration\u2019s military actions<\/a> in Venezuela.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chevron\u2019s Richmond refinery was the site of another protest aimed at the corporate giant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chevron is the only U.S. oil company operating in Venezuela and poised to benefit from the U.S. intervention. Earlier this month the Trump administration carried out a military operation in Venezuela on Jan. 3 to capture president Nicol\u00e1s Maduro that Venezuelan officials say left more than 100<\/a> dead. Venezuela has the world\u2019s largest oil reserves, and President Donald Trump has said part of the reason for the operation is increase American access to the country\u2019s oil fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Several hundred people gathered at Chevron\u2019s Richmond refinery Saturday, where police had blocked the roads off from traffic. Credit: Maurice Tierney for Richmondside<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The protests were among the hundreds planned<\/a> for towns and cities across the country over the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On both Saturday and Sunday afternoons<\/a> in Berkeley, protesters gathered at the I-80 overpass at the north end of Aquatic Park, a site used by crowds during the \u201cNo Kings\u201d rallies in June<\/a> and October<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signs read \u201cNo War\u201d and \u201cICE murdered Renee Good,\u201d a reference to the Minneapolis woman who was shot in the head by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Wednesday as she slowly turned her car away from agents carrying out an operation related to the Trump administration\u2019s immigration crackdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=sarakaymartin&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2010144466448142732&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.berkeleyside.org%2F2026%2F01%2F11%2Fice-out-for-good-protests&sessionId=1b0419af11d9ccfee75eed3369070452e553419a&siteScreenName=berkeleyside&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The protest was organized by the group Visibility Brigade<\/a> \u201cin response to the onslaught of US government chaos being enacted upon residents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intervening in Venezuela \u2018ignores what Americans need,\u2019 protesters say<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On the corner of University Avenue and Sixth Street Sunday afternoon, amid the smell of gasoline and the steady stream of weekend traffic, stood 92-year-old Tobey Wiebe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her hands, she carried a piece of history: a protest sign her late husband once held in 2003 during demonstrations against the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Its message: \u201cImperialist America is humanity\u2019s number one enemy\u201d \u2014 felt no less urgent to Wiebe more than two decades later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m here because I want to keep my sanity,\u201d said Wiebe, a Berkeley resident of 56 years. \u201cTrump is breaking all the rules and saying, \u2018Catch me if you can.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wiebe was one of roughly 100 demonstrators who occupied all four corners of the busy intersection near the Interstate 80 on-ramp, outside the Chevron station at 833 University Ave. The protest was organized by a chapter of the group Showing Up for Racial Justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Some protesters sewed political messaging into their clothing. By Sara Martin for Berkeleyside<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For nearly two hours, the protest was met with a steady chorus of supportive honks as drivers passed by. The local residents present condemned the U.S. government\u2019s escalating involvement in Venezuela and what they see as the outsized influence of corporate interests on American foreign policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the White House has framed the operation the military strike in Caracas in which Maduro was captured as a blow against \u201cnarcoterrorism,\u201d protesters in Berkeley expressed deep skepticism about both its motives and consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Valerie Knepper, who attended the rally with her husband and several friends, said recent U.S. actions have hardened her views on American intervention abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI used to think U.S. involvement was all about oil,\u201d Knepper said. \u201cBut I\u2019ve realized it\u2019s about world domination. The U.S. wants to control everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
John Lavine and Sharron Siskin hold signs at the intersection of University Avenue and Sixth Street on Sunday afternoon, protesting opposition to the Trump administration\u2019s recent military strikes in Caracas and ICE operations domestically. Credit: Sara Martin for Berkleyside<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For Knepper and others, concerns about foreign policy were inseparable from anxieties closer to home. The administration\u2019s aggressive tactics abroad, she said, have fueled fears about the erosion of democratic norms domestically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, Knepper said she worries the results may not be \u201clegitimately recognized\u201d by Republicans in Congress if they do not favor the administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearby, friends Carla Soracco and Donna Fong stood side by side on the sidewalk, gripping handmade signs as traffic rushed past. For Soracco, the morality of the strike was straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Donna Fong (left) and Carla Soroacco (right) argued that federal funds slated for overseas oil infrastructure would be better utilized for domestic needs like food insecurity and homelessness. Credit: Sara Martin for Berkeleyside<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf Trump did that to Putin to try him on war crimes, I could support it, because we know that he attacked another country,\u201d Soracco said, referencing Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine. \u201cBut it\u2019s not really our business to tell other people how to run their lives or their countries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Trump administration has already begun meeting with oil executives about plans to invest billions in rebuilding the country\u2019s oil infrastructure. President Trump has suggested such efforts would make Venezuela \u201copen for business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Protesters gather at all four corners of University Avenue and Sixth Street in Berkeley on Sunday. Credit: Sara Martin for Berkeleyside<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fong argued that those resources represent a betrayal of the administration\u2019s \u201cAmerica First\u201d promises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe billions of dollars the U.S. is talking about pouring into oil infrastructure in Venezuela should be spent on people here,\u201d Fong said, pointing to local crises such as affordability, homelessness and food insecurity. Instead, she said, the administration is \u201ccreating international problems while ignoring what Americans actually need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richmond mayor calls Chevron a \u2018monster\u2019 at protest over refinery\u2019s Venezuelan presence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Several hundred people gathered Saturday at Chevron\u2019s Richmond refinery to peacefully protest the company\u2019s presence in Venezuela. The protest was organized by a coalition of various Bay Area environmental groups networks, and speakers included Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez and former city council member Melvin Willis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cWe know what we\u2019re fighting for: Stop pollution, stop the war, we won\u2019t buy Chevron anymore,\u201d sang Bonnie Lockhart and her posse of choralists, a group of singer-activists called Occupella<\/a>. \u201cGet out! Chevron, get out!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Ilonka Zlatar of the Oil and Gas Action Network said the protest was organized in response to the Jan. 3 U.S. action in Venezuela. Credit: Maurice Tierney for Richmondside<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Police had blocked off the roads in front of Gate 14, making access difficult, yet protestors arrived in droves on foot, walking from neighborhoods about 10 minutes away. The crowd stood with banners outside of Chevron\u2019s headquarters, which were barricaded and had boarded over its sign so the logo wasn\u2019t visible, as guest speakers took turns at the mic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crowd then marched down Richmond Parkway to the refinery side before later dispersing. No arrests were made and nothing appeared to be damaged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The protest was announced late last week in response to developing global events, said Ilonka Zlatar, organizer for the Oil and Gas Action Network<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chevron has been in Venezuela (and Richmond) for more than 100 years and is \u201cthe oil company that\u2019s most poised to profit and benefit from the actions that the United States has taken against Venezuela recently,\u201d Zlatar said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are opposed to the idea that our government should be used as a weapon for the profit of corporations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martinez gave a short speech that he said he thought of \u201cin his bathtub\u201d that morning, calling Chevron, Richmond\u2019s largest taxpayer,<\/a> \u201ca monster.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cWhenever we need what is justly ours, we need to battle them, because we refuse to beg them,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cWe will not beg Chevron to get what is rightfully ours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe health, the environment, the water, the air, it\u2019s ours,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cIf we allow Chevron to pollute them without repayment for the harm they cause us, we\u2019re not doing our job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
The protesters outside the refinery. Credit: Maurice Tierney for Richmondside<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chevron Richmond said in a written statement: \u201cChevron respects the rights of individuals to express their viewpoints peacefully and lawfully. Our workforce of nearly 3,000 people remains focused on safely and reliably providing the essential energy that keeps the Bay Area moving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martinez was part of a Richmond City Council contingent that in 2024 won a settlement from Chevron<\/a> in exchange for dropping a proposed oil refinery tax measure from the ballot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the protesters appeared to be from the Bay Area but one woman said she had come from Sacramento. Most heard about the protest on social media, through word-of-mouth, and from Mobilize.us<\/a>, an online platform that promotes activist events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luna Angulo of Richmond, co-founder of the \u201ckayaktivist\u201d group Rich City Rays<\/a>, attended to protest Chevron\u2019s refinery pollution as well as to \u201creconnect the waterways with BIPOC youth,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other local grassroot organizations involved in the protest were the Richmond Progress Alliance (RPA), the Asian Pacific Environment Network, Richmond for Palestine, Bay Resistance and the Democratic Socialists of America. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Associated Press, Sebastien Bridonneau, Zoe Harwood, Ashley McBride and Zac Farber contributed reporting to this story.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The protests this weekend were part of nationwide wave of resistance following the capture of the Venezuelan president and an ICE officer\u2019s fatal shooting of Renee Good. by\u00a0Sara MartinJan. 11, 2026 (Berkeleyside.org) People in Berkeley waved signs at drivers from a highway overpass and set up outside a Chevron gas… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46036"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46036"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46037,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46036\/revisions\/46037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}