Environmentalists, activists rally outside courthouse for start of BP oil spill trial

By Elizabeth Skree, Communications Manager, Environmental Defense Fund

Beginning at 6 a.m. this morning, Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign members and dozens of Gulf Coast supporters rallied outside the U.S. District Courthouse in New Orleans, urging the U.S. Department of Justice to hold BP fully accountable for the gulf oil disaster. As the civil trial began inside the building, Gulf Coast residents representing communities, industries and diverse sectors gathered outside, holding signs showing the spill’s destruction, reading “#makeBPpay.” The group was clad in black to symbolize BP’s grave negligence toward gulf residents and ecosystems. Campaign experts were also in attendance, providing interviews to the media.

Our campaign has been live tweeting from both outside and inside the courthouse all day and posted photos from the rally event on our Facebook page. Click here to view our Facebook album.

Early this morning, as the doors to the courtroom opened for the first day of the BP trial, over 50 people gathered to send a clear message to the world: it’s time to #makeBPpay! Click to like and share this photo on Facebook.

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