Occupy Wall Street West protesters chained themselves to the entrance of Wells Fargo Bank headquarters in downtown San Francisco yesterday, effectively shutting down the bank for several hours. Photos by Luke Thomas.
By Kat Anderson
January 21, 2012
Soggy, but undaunted, Occupy activists pulled off a coordinated day of action Friday in San Francisco that highlighted banks’ role in bringing citizens of the 99 percent to their financial knees.
Protesters also decried the role that the Supreme Court case Citizens United, now two years old, has played in pulling representative democracy out of the grasp of ordinary citizens. As many as 2,000 protesters took part in all of the activities. Thirteen people were arrested in actions at Wells Fargo and Bank of America.
Threaded throughout the Financial District, Occupy affinity groups engaged in various forms of non-violent activity such as chaining themselves with lock boxes to all the entrances to Wells Fargo’s headquarters on California Street, staging a rally at the “bankers heart” sculpture at the foot of the Bank of America building, performing guerrilla theater as military personnel arresting “terrorists” (American citizens), and marching from Justin Herman Plaza throughout the financial district.
The centerpiece of the financial district protests was Wells Fargo Bank headquarters on California Street. Dozens of activists barricaded all entrances to the building, criss-crossing the entryways with “Crime Scene” tape and forming human chains at the doors with PVC pipe (lock boxes). A rally of hundreds dotted by umbrellas, rain slickers and picket signs carried the message, “Wells Fargo, you can’t hide.” A banner reading, “We are unstoppable” was unfurled across the California Street entrance. Cops in riot gear and yellow rain slickers flanked the bank building, placing extra security nearest the bank’s money vaults.
Buff Bradley of the affinity group “Disturbed Occupants” told Fog City Journal, “We hold Wells Fargo Bank accountable not only for the financial crisis, but for profiting off the misery caused by the financial crisis.” At his feet sat a living room scene with empty chairs holding “Foreclosed” and “Lost our home” signs. He accompanied two young people, a brother and sister, who had been chained to the Wells Fargo doors since 6:45 am. They were there because their parents had lost the family home to foreclosure. They would identify themselves only as “99 percenters.”
SFPD got nasty just a few hundred yards away at the Bank of America building. While attempting to arrest a young man, the cops were surrounded by Occupy activists who implored them to let the man go. The cops tried to retreat into the Bank of America garage, but the portico was gated from ground to ceiling. They were trapped. A garage employee refused the cops’ request to lift the gate. Backup arrived in the form of about 20 motorcycle cops. Baton-wielding officers forcefully pushed the crowd away to free the trapped cops. The young man was carried off to the paddy wagon.
SFPD officers were surrounded by protesters following the arrest of a demonstrator outside Bank of America.
An SFPD officer uses his baton to push protesters away.
SFPD extricate the arrested protester upon the arrival of several SFPD motorcycle officers.
In guerrilla theater, Iraq Veterans for Peace dressed as military personnel “randomly” selected activists for arrest as terrorists. They pushed “arrestees” to their knees, hooded them and bound their hands. These scenes were designed to bring attention to the NDAA, National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a provision that all US citizens can be arrested by military police anywhere and held indefinitely without due process of law if suspected of terrorist activity.
Protesters dressed as US military personnel arrested fellow demonstrators on suspicion of terrorism. The mock performance drew attention to a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act that obliterates constitutionally protected due process rights, permitting the arrest and indefinite detention of US citizens anywhere in the world, including the US.
Several hundred marchers comprising dozens of Occupy affinity groups such as Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, Causa Justa, United Service Workers West, and SF Interfaith Allies for Occupy moved from Justin Herman Plaza through the financial district, snarling traffic and beaconing to the folks in suits to join them.
FCJ talked with Episcopal Father Fred Merrick, ret., and Rabbi Moshe Levin of Congregation Ner Tamid as they paused at Wells Fargo, holding a sign that read, “People of Faith For a Moral Economy.” Rabbi Levin pointed to the “Crime Scene” tape. “I think that we’re all here because of the words on that yellow tape,” he said. The Rabbi said he purposely came to the march dressed in a suit and tie because he realized “the 99 percent aren’t just those who sleep in sleeping bags, but who also make the sleeping bags, and there are those that are Subway franchise owners, and those standing in the windows of Chase Bank and looking down on this march. They are the 99 percent, too.”
FCJ checked out the scene at the Ninth Circuit court at 7th and Mission. A couple dozen people congregated around a sign that read, “Dollars are not Citizens.” They chalked messages on the sidewalks such as, “Amend the Constitution 28th Amendment End Corporate Personhood,” “Corporations are Not People,” and “Impeach Jay Bybee for Torture.”
Demonstrators protested outside the Ninth Circuit Court calling for a constitutional amendment to end corporate personhood.
"Corporations are not people."
"Impeach (federal judge) Jay Bybee for torture."
"End corporate personhood."
FCJ returned to the proving ground of Occupy SF, the area near the Federal Reserve Bank. The People’s Food Bank of America was set up in front of the Bank of America ATM machines on Market Street. Hot soup and bread were offered to one and all. About 100 people congregated there. Every person was filled with peaceful good cheer. Their flyers and postcards, however, were tattered by rain, and not many passersby wanted to engage in dialogue given the bad weather.
Occupy protesters chained themselves to Bank of America on Market Street, effectively shutting down the branch for hours.
All in all, there was an impressive showing of a variety of actions with clear messages about economic injustice, pandering to corporate greed, and a stripping away of Americans’ rights under the guise of “anti-terrorism” policy. We expect that Occupy Wall Street West will consider the day, which they call “J20” a success.
More Photos
Occupy protesters held a vigil outside Bechtel headquarters in San Francisco to bring attention to the misuse of more than $2 billion in U.S. taxpayer funds that was meant to fund infrastructure rebuilding projects in Iraq.
Foreclosure crime scene.
"Fuck you colonialism, capitalism and consumerism."
"Give me liberty, or give me a tent."
Protesters occupied the intersection of California and Montgomery streets.
Protesters shutdown a Bank of America branch on Montogommery Street.
"Protest of the century."
"No to the World Trade Organization."
SFPD officers alighted on California Street armed with riot control devices.
"The represession of the Occupy movement must not stand."
Senior citizens block access to two Wells Fargo Bank ATMs on California Street.
"Fierce compassion," outside Bank of America.
"No more evictions and foreclosures for profit."
San Francisco State University students protested multiple fee hikes as a result of budget cuts.
"Corporations are not people."
"Crime scene," outside Wells Fargo Bank headquarters.
The Hunger Site
January 22, 2012 at 2:30 pm
As this campaign against financial abuse and striving for economic fairness must be fought at many levels and in many ways, your litigation efforts are just as valuable as rallies and marches. Thanks for your post, details provided and links. Keep up the good fight. Right on.
January 22, 2012 at 11:00 am
I kept hearing this rolling by yesterday, from inside the San Francisco Law Library in the Monadnock Bldg. on Market. I wanted to go join in but I was inside working on my next pleading in Garrison v. OneWest, Deutschebank, NDEX, and Harborview Mortgage Loan Trust, 2005-5. I’m not a lawyer; I’m a pro per litigant working on my Sixth Amended Complaint after two years in San Francisco Superior Court, so I figured I was doing my bit, even though I’d have rather joined the party. My lawsuit should have some positive impact whether I win or lose because I’m arguing contracts, so to beat me now, the banks’ counsel is going to have to argue that what’s in the contract is not what matters, which is counter to everything they’ve argued up to now.
However, since this is not San Francisco Superior Court, the big banks whose predatory lending/mortgage securitization/bailout rampage triggered a global depression should not be allowed to live, and they would not have lived without the taxpayer funded bailout.
I saw photos of municipal banking advocate Supervisor John Avalos on this march and I would like to imagine he might, not only as a Supervisor but as a member of the D.C.C.C., speak out against this:
Obama to Grant Banks Robosigning Immunity in Showdown With Breakaway AGs, http://www.opednews.com/articles/Obama-to-Grant-Banks-Robos-by-Gustav-Wynn-120121-502.html
And this:
New Obama Foreclosure Plan Helps Banks At Taxpayers’ Expense, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/24/foreclosure-plan-obama-harp-refinancing_n_1028554.html
How is anyone to expect Obama to ‘show some spine,’ as so many urge, assuming that this is not his political will, if local Democrats fear to, especially the “liberal San Francisco Democrats” that Newt Gingrich charges control him?