On Bowoto v. Chevron

The long-awaited Bowoto v. Chevron trial opened this week in San Francisco federal court. The international human rights case—over what happened in 1998 to Nigerian villagers protesting the energy behemoth’s environmental impact—is rare for its use of the Alien Tort Claims Statute against a multinational corporation. To keep up with the trial, (expected to last into December), read this account of the first day, then keep an eye here for more good reporting on the case.

In these photos, Nigerians and “corporate accountability” activists protest in front of a Chevron station in San Francisco.

Photos by Jin Zhu.