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10 Jun, 2010 18:49

Activists call for BP to be held financially responsible

For the second time in less than a week, protesters gathered in Washington, DC to protest what they call BP’s negligence and called on BP to be financially responsible for those hurt most by the Gulf oil spill.

"They were never given enough to be able to get through the month,” said Joan Stallard, an activist with MoveOn.org.

She continued, “Where they were used to getting $3,500 in income, BP’s handing out checks for $2,000 so they're just squeezing, squeezing."

Tighe Barry dressed up like a BP worker as he parodied BP CEO Tony Hayward.

"I was sitting in my office in London,” he joked, “How could I be held responsible?”

He and other members of Code Pink and MoveOn.org are suggesting BP should pay for it all.

The BP jokers are going on news every day telling lies and dong whatever they feel like,” said Barry.

Let’s expose them for really what the truth is, that they really are they’re greedy. They put money above people,” said Barry.

Just last week, a much larger group of protesters gathered outside BP’s Washington, DC lobbying office, calling for action.

It was a much smaller group out in front of a building where BP used to lease an office. But for people walking by during the lunchtime protest, they were at least able to see that the outrage is still alive.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers continue to probe the Obama administration, including Senator Mary Landrieu (Democrat-Louisiana). She asked Ken Salazar, the Secretary of the Interior, not to call a moratorium on offshore drilling. On Wednesday, Landrieu said many companies in her state will suffer much more.

If these long list of companies that are not oil companies but oil service companies, have to either go out of business or take bankruptcy or lay off thousands of workers are going to ask BP to pick up their salaries and make them whole?” asked Landrieu.

The answer to that is yes we will,” said Salazar. “BP is responsible and BP is responsible for all the damages that flow from the BP oil spill."

But the question remains: How much will BP really pay?

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