Rainforest Action Network Booted from Marathon Expo
A team of runners from the Rainforest Action Network purchased a table at the Houston Marathon Expo at which they distributed stickers and pamphlets about “Chevron’s refusal to clean up over 18 billion tons of toxic oil sludge they are responsible for in the Ecuadorean rainforest.” Since Chevron is the title sponsor of the Houston Marathon, this didn’t sit well with the race organizers, so they removed the exhibitors from the expo and refunded their money.
“We’re not a political event, and we certainly don’t appreciate them using our expo to promote their politics,” said managing director Steven Karpas. “It’s our expo, and we have the right to control access to the expo. We just didn’t find their message to be appropriate given the title sponsor.”
“We are outraged that Chevron would deny marathon participants the right to run for what they believe, in our case, human rights in Ecuador,” said Rainforest Action Network runner Maria Ramos. “It is sad that the Chevron Houston Marathon – which raises awareness and money for many important causes – would deny the rights of participants to appease a corporate sponsor that is clearly ashamed of its human rights record.”
It doesn’t sound like these activists were refused entry into the race, and they could have run wearing anti-Chevron t-shirts, I’m sure (their own blog post about the ejection doesn’t say they weren’t allowed to run), but they make no mention of even being there to run.
It is definitely not anyone’s inalienable right to use someone else’s platform to spread a message. RAN is stupid to act like this is a free speech issue, especially since they just moved outside and handed out stickers and literature to people walking into the expo without interference.