Protests Planned at L.A. Water Bottling Plant

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Editor’s Note: This story has been updated from a previous version.

Activists are planning to show up by the busload outside of Nestle Waters North America’s bottling facilities in downtown Los Angeles and Sacramento on Wednesday.

The planned protests follow a series of petitions started in March demanding the food and beverage company halt its bottling operations in California, in light of the state’s drought conditions.

Tim Molina, strategic campaign organizer for consumer group Courage Campaign, said Nestle has yet to show any concern for the state’s worsening drought.

“They need to come up with a plan to halt their bottle operations or drastically cut it back,” he said.

The campaign is arranging for buses to take protestors to the Los Angeles plant, near 20th Street and Long Beach Avenue in an industrial area south of the Fashion District. Molina said so far the campaign has 300 protestors planning to attend its Los Angeles rally.

But Tim Brown, chief executive of Nestle Waters North America in Stamford, Conn., said last week that the company has no plans to stop its water bottling operations.

“In fact, if I could increase it, I would,” he said during a May 13 interview on Pasadena public radio station KPCC.

In a statement Monday, Nestle spokeswoman Lisa Gabby said the company has reached out to protest organizers and is “working to ensure a day of peaceful demonstration.”

“We appreciate the opportunity to engage in dialogue – and in meaningful action – to address California’s water challenges,” Gabby said. “We are hopeful that the public discussion around water use – including these efforts – leads to positive collective action.”

Nestle has 15 bottled water brands including Arrowhead, Pure Life and Poland Spring.

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