Yesterday, actions against mining companies, utility companies, Citibank and Bank of America swept the nation from coast to coast. You can read the first roundup of report backs here.
RAN Flickr Site: Check here for lots of pics from yesterday.
Dr James Hansen said in support of the Day of Action: “The science is clear: a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants, and phase-out of existing coal plants, is essential if we want to preserve creation, the life on our planet, for young people and future generations.”
Today more actions are planned. Check out www.dirtymoney.org for details
Actions reporting back:
Syracuse, NY:”Fox’s main goal was to raise awareness, and she said she believes the protest was successful. She did not receive much support in numbers, but Fox said she was able to stop many passersby and drivers at stop lights to hand out flyers, stickers and give a speech on the dangers of coal and Bank of America’s role in coal financing.”
Beckley, WV:”They distributed fliers outside a Citi Financial office, informed Citi employees that their employer had a major role in destroying their communities, and handed fliers to customers entering the office. ”
Baltimore, MD:”Amid the flurries of our current political climate, a handful of Towson students sought to educate citizens of injustices taking place by national banking companies in Baltimore.” Read more here.
Washington D.C. II:”Saturday morning at 4-5:30am nine of us went to one Citibank location and one Bank of America location and put caution tape around the doors since the ATMs were inside. Then we chalked some bodies but it was raining so they didn’t all last the morning, but some remained when we came back at 8am to hand out flyers. Since the banks weren’t open on Saturday we found that our caution tape and signs we put up in the night were still there! At the Citibank it remained there till we after we left around noon. Unfortunately the police came to the Bank of America and took down the tape but allowed us to continue passing out flyers, of which the nine of us handed out 305! ”
University of Central Florida: Video here
College Park, MD:”More than 25 students formed a brigade outside the Bank of America on Route 1 Friday afternoon, laying down on the wet sidewalk and obstructing the entrance to protest the bank lending money to coal-mining companies.”
Sacramento, CA:”We had two then two more people show up for the demonstration outside the Bank of America at 1130 K St. on the K St. Mall in Sacramento. We passed out “Funding coal, Killing communities” flyers and garnered signatures for the “Tell Citi and Bank of America that Coal is Over and to Fund the Future” petition sheets. There were three Wackenhut guards who stayed in front of the main entrance of the bank. A few people were enthused about us being there.”
Las Vegas, NV:”On Friday RYSE Las Vegas had a table at Las Vegas Academy during lunch with stickers, information about Citi and Bank of America’s destructive coal finance, and a petition. We even recruited some enthusiastic new members!”
Ventura, CA: RAN Ventura- “Four determined activists braved the heat, smoke, and winds in Ventura to get the word out that B of A is destroying communities and the environment by funding coal. One of our group wore a black tophat and “diamonds” to show how B of A is making money while others are suffering. The rest of us handed out literature and approached people to sign our petitions. Even though we are now dehydrated and exhausted, we are very proud of our efforts and hope others will join us for our next event.”
Los Angeles:”It’s 92 degrees in LA today and there are brush fires burning out of control all over the place. Maybe that’s why people were so receptive to our message that Bank of America needs to stop investing in global warming. Our small band of activists talked to passersby and customers at the B of A just outside the UCLA campus and distributed over a hundred flyers and stickers. After I gave a sticker to one adorable little boy, his father told me that their whole house is about to go solar. When we asked another man to tell B of A to stop funding coal power, he said he already had – and that he’d closed all of his accounts. Overall, it was a fun afternoon spent in solidarity with activists across the country!”
Berkeley, CA: Activists flyered outside of the downtown Berkeley Bank of America
Rotterdam, Netherlands:90 arrested at Greenpeace coal action in Rotterdam.
Austin, TX:”We had a great action in Austin today! A solid crowd of no less than 40 and account closures totalling over $60,000! We also had a few good media folks turn out, including a guy from the #1 talk radio station here and both of the major print papers.” Video here.
San Francisco Video: Posted here.
