Shrimper Douses Herself With Oil in Spill Protest

Topics: In The News

(Credit: CBS)

Diane Wilson, a Texas shrimper and activist, has been arrested for pouring oil on herself during a senate energy hearing.

Wilson was voicing her anger over the issue of BP's liability in the catastrophic spill that has devastated the shrimping industry along the Gulf coast.

She was specifically protesting Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski's blocking of a bill that would have lifted the oil giant's liability cap.

Wilson was promptly removed from the hearing and arrested and charged with unlawful conduct disruption of Congress, according to Sgt. Kimberly Schneider of the Capitol Hill Police.

Wilson is a co-founder of Codepink for Peace, a women's movement dedicated to "redirecting resources into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming activities," according to their website.

"I am seeing the destruction of my community and I am outraged," Wilson said in a statement released by Codepink following her arrest. "I am also seeing elected representatives like Senator Lisa Murkowski blocking BP from being legally responsible to pay for this catastrophe.... This is outrageous. How dare she side with big oil over the American people who have been so devastated by this manmade disaster?"

Wilson, who claims to be a fourth-generation shrimper, has been protesting and writing about pollution in the Gulf for years.

"We want people to call Senator Murkowski's office and tell her to stop supporting big oil and support a healthy environment and American livelihoods instead," said Codepink co-founder Medea Benjamin, who was with Wilson at the hearing. "BP CEO Tony Hayward should be in jail, not a distraught shrimper!"

Watch CBS News Videos Online

30 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 30 Comments


by bobcra June 10, 2010 5:50 AM EDT: "Wilson was promptly removed from the hearing and arrested and charged with unlawful conduct disruption of Congress, according to Sgt. Kimberly Schneider of the Capitol Hill Police."

Wow! Joe Wilson was finally called out for calling the President a liar? I thought it would never happen...; Reply to this comment

by lordkoos June 10, 2010 3:39 AM EDT

You high-and-mighty commenters sicken me. This woman and thousands of other fishermen have just had their livelihood ruined,probably for the rest of their lives. I'd like to see how you people would behave if this happened to you. She was dead on target with her anger directed at Senator Murkowski, who like so many of our politicians, has sold her soul to corporate interests rather that actually representing the American people.

This accident was not caused by environmentalists, what a tired talking point that is. It was caused by BPs negligence, this is obvious from the statements of workers on the Deep Horizon and from BPs track record. This accident was caused by greed, because BP were in such a hurry that they couldn't be bothered to cap this well properly.

Reply to this comment


by gybe2ho June 14, 2010 1:46 PM EDT: @lordkoos .................. you hit that one right on the head.


by sierrablancalucia June 10, 2010 12:06 AM EDT: We haven't even seen a fraction of the disaster to come. Let's see who's still defending polluters come November when the whole Gulf coast is dead.; Reply to this comment

by obfusc8tr June 9, 2010 6:33 PM EDT

"Wilson, who claims to be a fourth-generation shrimper, has been protesting and writing about pollution in the Gulf for years."

Unless she's been rowing or sailing her shrimp boat out there, she's part of the problem.

Reply to this comment


by hotpoet June 10, 2010 8:49 AM EDT: Sorry but the the use of oil did not cause this tragedy: it was caused by 1) George W Bush who overturned the ban on deep water drilling in 2008, and his department of interior which rolled back regulations for drilling. 2) President Obama's who appointed Ken Salazar whose department waived environmental regulations in the permitting of this facility 3) BP who ran a sloppy operation and had no back up plan for what to do if it failed.

by joule18 June 9, 2010 5:11 PM EDT

by bobnjersey June 9, 2010 4:29 PM EDT
[This man's company should be liable for all cleanup and restituion. But they haven't done anything illegal. They are not benefitting from this oil spill. I'm sure they want it stopped just as badly as the rest of us. But breaking the law and disrupting congress is not helping anyone.]

misrepresenting the scale of the leak would be illegal. a contingency plan that is complete fabrication and not applicable to the specific risks of the drilling method used may not be illegal ... but it sure isn't responsible.

I could only wish that those who misrepresent could be found guilty of a legality. How about all the misrepresentation by the left on the healthcare bill and climate change legislation?

By the way, wind, solar and other green technologies will never supply more than 3% of our consumption. If Iran acts up, our economy will come to a stand-still as our current suppliers will curtail their supply to some extent. We need an "all of the above" approach to our energy needs. Maybe fusion should be funded as was approved during the Carter administration.

Reply to this comment


by bobnjersey June 9, 2010 6:44 PM EDT: [I could only wish that those who misrepresent could be found guilty of a legality. ]

they can in the right cases. bp is legaly bound w/ liablility based on the scale of the spill. knowingly mispresenting is lying ... and lying about your legally defined liability may just bring some more.


by postrealitysyndrome June 10, 2010 12:23 AM EDT: I propose that BP's track-record of dodging safety concerns and regulations could border on criminal recklessness due to the 11 deaths that resulted. Who is actually responsible would take further investigation.

Also, your 3% estimate of green technologies is probably a gross underestimate. First of all, it assumes a consumption rate that is much higher than other industrialized countries, so just by bringing down consumption from 11.4 kW per person to the levels of Japan and Germany, with 6 kW per person, would bring your 3% to nearly 6%. But according to the department of energy, Renewable Energy Consumption in the Nation's Energy Supply in 2007 (solar, hydro, geo, bio, wind) made up 7%, so a more reasonable consumption rate would push it closer to 14% renewables. This is with current technologies, so with increasing solar technologies in the future that number can only increase. I heard fusion was promising as well.

by mah1121 June 9, 2010 4:52 PM EDT

She's a moron. No one is supporting BP, and 82% disapprove of congress...we don't need this fool dumping oil over her head to help get her point across. We already know her point, and agree with it. The woman is just another person looking for her 15 minutes.

Reply to this comment


by Vertrauen June 9, 2010 5:05 PM EDT: exactly


by scottyusa June 9, 2010 5:26 PM EDT: Her whole organization is made up of morons.

See all 4 Replies


by stupa5 June 9, 2010 4:47 PM EDT: Was it Olive Oil?; Reply to this comment

by pragmatist1 June 9, 2010 4:39 PM EDT

Like as if the government knew what was going on, is addressing the issues, has the technical where-with-all to resolve, is organized, etc. BP isn't the only one to blame and this woman's hysterics proves nothing. Her act of protest was not very intelligent.

Reply to this comment


by hotpoet June 10, 2010 8:53 AM EDT: Neither is your knowledge of what she is protesting.


by diputsdiputs June 9, 2010 4:27 PM EDT: Wow, look at all that emotion in their faces. Cold, uncaring people! Get involved, get your hands dirty, FEEL THEIR PAIN!; Reply to this comment


by tsigili June 9, 2010 4:27 PM EDT: Awwwww......Congress is so stuffy!; Reply to this comment