Supporters were also targeted.
By: Joshua Rosenberg. April 21, 2026
NEW ORLEANS — The Chevron Out of French Quarter Fest coalition received an overwhelmingly warm reception from the people gathered at the Willow Dispensary Stage at French Quarter Festival (FQF) on Saturday evening before they were promptly kicked out of the show by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Chevron Out campaign planned to celebrate the fact that, starting in 2027, Chevron would no longer be a sponsor of FQF. The police virtually immediately began removing campaign members (who were wearing matching t-shirts) from the crowd.
They next targeted people who were carrying Palestinian flags (which the campaign had distributed). The band Sweet Crude was playing their set at the time. FQF announced it was dropping Chevron as title sponsor for the 2026 season, but the company remained a sponsor for this year.
“We followed the rules defined by the festival and remained extremely conscious and respectful of the other festivalgoers, festival staff, and the artists performing,” Matt Banks, an organizer with Chevron Out, told The Rosenberg Brief in a statement. “The New Orleans Police Department officers who trespassed us did the opposite.”
“They cited rules that did not exist and floundered when pressed for information,” Banks said. “They were extremely disruptive to the crowd and festivalgoers, many of whom were escorted out simply for supporting us visibly.”
Among other things, “[u]nauthorized signage, pamphlets, or flyers,” are prohibited by the festival. Flags are not mentioned in the festival’s materials.
The NOPD is recorded as telling attendees they could either keep their flags and leave, or let them confiscate the flags and stay.
“Everybody with a flag, y’all have the leave,” one officer said.“You can’t have it in here at all.”
“If you wanna keep it, you can leave out with it,” he also said. “But if you want me to take it, you can enjoy the festival.”
In 2025, Chevron was ordered to pay Plaquemines Parish more than $740 million for its role in land loss, a serious problem in southern Louisiana. Chevron appealed the ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court, on April 17, ruled that the case must be moved to federal court, which was seen by court observers as a major victory for the company.
Also, according to Chevron Out, Chevron doesn’t have a net-zero emission policy and “refuses to align its activities with the temperature goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.”
The company has also aided Israel in its genocide in Palestine.
The crackdown left at least some festivalgoers deeply disappointed.
“I was (wrongfully) under the impression that [FQF] had removed Chevron as a sponsor altogether. I finally felt proud again to attend my favorite festival in the WORLD,” one Instagram user wrote. “Being anti-genocide is non-negotiable, and we should expect that of all organizations we choose to support.”
The NOPD and FQF did not respond to requests for comment in time for this article’s publication.
Editorial note: Joshua Rosenberg is a member of NOSHIP, which is a coalition member of Chevron Out. Rosenberg was present at the event on Saturday.
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