When Los Angeles residents gather to protest British Petroleum on Tuesday night, it won't be the first time this kind of civic action has been taken in the area.

With signs, makeshift candles crafted from Starbucks cups and a mission to make a difference, a small group of protesters stood on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue last Tuesday night to take a stand against the Gulf Coast oil spill disaster, beginning what they hope will be a weekly gathering.

The protest was just one of dozens held throughout L.A. to commemorate World Oceans Day and the 50th day of the spill. 

Local environmental groups have organized events across Southern California, but few have sent volunteers to the Gulf Coast to help with clean-up efforts. 

Protester Luis Pardo said he had difficulty finding ways to help. 

"I tried looking into groups recruiting volunteers, and there aren't any," Pardo said. "I even looked into organizations like Surfrider Foundation, but no one's taking action." 

Heal the Bay, a regional environmental group based in Santa Monica, is focusing its advocacy efforts locally, ensuring that this type of disaster does not happen on the California coast. 

"We're primarily concerned with legislation reform and preventing potential spills in the future, especially along the California coastline," Heal the Bay Coastal Resources Director Sarah Sikich said. "We're working with our environmental partners for stronger regulations." 

Despite the limited opportunities to volunteer along the Gulf Coast, residents were still adamant about speaking out against the oil spill. 

Starr Csesnik, who has lived in L.A. for 14 years, welcomed the chance to protest the oil spill, even from a distance. 

"It's hard because in these situations it feels like there's not a lot that you can do from this far away, but it's nice to do something, even if it's on a small scale," she said. 

The gathering was spearheaded by Heather Crosson, and word spread through the activist website MoveOn.org, as well as through Facebook and e-mail chains. 

Like many others at the protest, Crosson was not only taking a stand against the spill that has been leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico since April, but also against the recent actions of BP, the company responsible for the disaster. 

"It's so frustrating to see a foreign company telling our government what they can and cannot do," she said. 

Patrons of the nearby ARCO, a subsidiary of BP, looked on while protestors chanted "shame on you" at them as they filled up. 

Toward the end of the night, protester Jed S. Ela collected e-mail addresses to organize the protest into a weekly gathering. 

He promptly sent out an e-mail afterward to praise his fellow protesters and encourage more involvement.  

In his heartfelt message, Ela made clear that he was not affiliated with any activist or environmental organizations. 

"When it comes to grassroots organizing I am no more and no less than you are...a concerned citizen willing to use what little free time I have to try and change this country for the better."