Hi—
Thousands of activists will confront the biggest of the "too big to fail" banks—Bank of America—on May 9 in Charlotte, NC, at its annual shareholders meeting. They're staging powerful, creative actions to demand accountability from BofA on taxes, foreclosures, clean energy, and more.
To amplify the message of the 99% in Charlotte that day, communities nationwide are organizing solidarity events on May 9. One hundred cities—from Las Cruces, NM, to Augusta, ME—already have solidarity events planned. The more protests we have, the more pressure we can exert on BofA to do more to help the 99%.
There isn't a BofA protest in Inwood planned for May 9—can you host one?
Hosting is simple, and it's a fun and powerful way to connect with the 99% in your community. All the steps and materials you'll need for a great event are provided. Check out last week's email below for more background on this national day of action.
Thanks for all you do.
–Elena and the rest of the team
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Dear MoveOn member,
This is what the 99% Spring is all about:
On Tuesday in San Francisco, Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf got an unexpected welcome to his own annual shareholders meeting: a thousand people in the streets protesting and activist shareholders on the inside interrupting his speech with a "mic check" of their demands.1
The same day, hundreds of people in Detroit mobilized for the annual GE shareholders meeting to demand that GE do more to rebuild the economy. Twenty people disrupted CEO Jeff Immelt's remarks with chants of "pay your fair share."2
Next up: Bank of America's annual meeting on May 9. In Charlotte, N.C.—BofA's HQ—thousands of people will rally outside the meeting so that CEO Brian Moynihan hears that the 99% want BofA to do more to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, get its money out of politics, and invest its profits to help rebuild the same economy that bailed Bank of America out.
Progressives have spent months planning a major showdown in Charlotte, and we can help amplify their voices and change the national conversation by protesting Bank of America in our own communities on May 9. The crowd in Charlotte is standing up for all of us against the biggest bank in the country—and some community members will risk arrest. So we need to rally national suport and make sure their voices are heard far and wide.
Can you organize a protest at a Bank of America in Inwood on May 9?
Remember when Bank of America backtracked on fee hikes after major public pressure?3 Imagine if the public knew just how bad Bank of America actually is for the 99%. Here's the short list:
- They haven't paid federal income taxes for the past three years.4
- They're a foreclosure leader and a cause of the crisis, illegally foreclosing on more than 8,000 homes.5
- They're the biggest financer of dirty coal, pumping more than $4.3 billion into the coal industry in the past two years.6
- Last but not least, they've spent over $20 million in lobbying and political campaigning since the 2008 elections—with our bailout money!7
The more light we can shine on their bad corporate practices, the better our chances to hold big companies like Bank of America accountable. By standing together with activists in Charlotte, we're also showing our movement's strength through solidarity.
Can you help send a powerful message to Bank of America—the biggest bank in the U.S.—by hosting a protest in Inwood on Wednesday, May 9?
Thanks for all you do.
–Elena, PaKou, David, Holly, and the rest of the team
P.S. It's really easy to organize an event. Once you create an event, you'll get access to a Host Guide and priority emails with tips and materials to help you organize a powerful protest.
Sources:
1. "Wells Fargo Protesters Disrupt Stumpf Speech at Meeting," Bloomberg, April 25, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=274790&id=40478-10220574-7Nu0AHx&t=5
2. "GE CEO defends tax rate after protesters disrupt speech," The Detroit News, April 24, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=274791&id=40478-10220574-7Nu0AHx&t=6
3. "Bank of America drops debit card fees," USA Today, November 1, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=274792&id=40478-10220574-7Nu0AHx&t=7
4. Bank of America 2012 10-K,
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=274798&id=40478-10220574-7Nu0AHx&t=8
5. "J.P. Morgan, BofA, Wells Fargo Tops in Foreclosed Home Loans," The Wall Street Journal, October 12, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=266827&id=40478-10220574-7Nu0AHx&t=9
6. "Bank of America: Risking Public Health and the Climate," Prepared by Rainforest Action Network, November 14, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=274793&id=40478-10220574-7Nu0AHx&t=10
7. OpenSecrets.org
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PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on April 30, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.
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