People’s Freedom Caravan rolls through Houston

Bringing energy and innovation to the struggle for clean air and healthy neighborhoods

Houston, TX – Hundreds of “freedom riders”” made their way to Houston today, visiting East Houston’s Manchester neighborhood to show solidarity with the community living adjacent to a massive petrochemical complex. In the shadow of the Valero Refinery spewing a toxic cloud overhead, residents welcomed the caravan to Hartman Park with lunch and a rally.

“Thanks for being here,” said one mother of Manchester, standing with her children. “We’re trying to clean our air.”

Port Arthur residents spoke of their recent victory stopping trucks of nerve gas from Indiana from being incinerated near families in Port Arthur, already home to 3 refineries.

The rally concluded with a short march to the fenceline of the refinery where marchers placed 300 white crosses on the fence, representing cancer victims in the community.

"The people in Houston filled me inspiration, says Victoria Rodriguez, who rode the People’s Freedom Caravan from New Mexico. "I don't know how they live next to those refineries, you can smell it. Truly an environmental injustice."

"We heard about children having heart surgery, families dealing with high instances of cancer, yet the community is still filled with hope,” added Rodriguez.

Houston is the hub of the global oil industry, home to hundreds of toxic petro-chemical industries and polluting refineries.

“We need to make change happen in the world, and stand together with the people in this community in East Houston to make [Valero] clean the air, “ says Sandra Garcia, from Southwest Workers’ Union in San Antonio Texas.

“The foundation laid by the environmental justice movement is a critical component of what brought about the US Social Forum,” says Ruben Solis, from San Antonio currently in Atlanta preparing for the Caravan’s arrival. “The caravan is about bringing the stories of folks unable to attend the Forum to Atlanta.”

2007 marks the 20^th anniversary of the eye opening report ‘Race & Waste’ that documented the disproportionate siting of toxic facilities in people of color communities. Despite the effort by countless communities, 20 years later the situation has grown worse.

“Environmental Justice is a human right just like housing, health care and education,” explained Solis.