Remember the protest of the Bank of America branch in downtown Ashvegas a few weeks ago? Remember the protesters locking themselves up, and the police carrying them away in the paddy wagon? And remember Mayor Terry Bellamy suggesting the protesters take their cause to the bank headquarters in Charlotte?
Well, four protesters – including an Asheville man – did just that. Here’s the news, from the Charlotte newspaper web site. Here’s a link:
<http://www.charlotte.com/112/story/330218.html
Protest on construction crane blocks uptown traffic
STEVE LYTTLE
slyttle@charlotteobserver.com
Four men were arrested this morning following an aerial protest that shut down several blocks of the uptown Charlotte area for almost two hours.
The incident, which involved hanging a large banner from a construction crane, was a well-coordinated protest organized by a San Francisco-based environmental group. It caused major traffic problems in the uptown area during the morning commute.
The four protesters arrested by police were identified as one each from North Carolina, Florida, California and New York.
The group was protesting Bank of America, for its alleged support of coal mining companies. Bank of America officials countered that they have a solid track record of supporting efforts to protect the environment.
Arrested and charged with first-degree trespassing were matthew Joseph Leonard, 28, of Emeryville, Calif.; Joshua Daniel Rumschlag, 30, of Clearwater, Fla.; Brian Glenn Wallin, 24, of Asheville; and John Allen Watterberg, 29, of Brooklyn.
The protesters were connected with the Rainforest Action Network.
The incident happened near the corner of College and Trade streets, at the site where a hotel is under construction. Police originally responded about 6:30 a.m. after reports that two men were stuck in a crane at the construction site. But it became apparent that the incident was not an accident. Rather, it was a planned protest.
The banner hung by the protesters carried the message, "Bank of America, Funding Coal, Killing Communities."
Sam Haswell, an official with the San Francisco-based Rainforest Action Network, told The Observer this morning that the protest was aimed at Bank of America. A similar protest is targeting New York-based Citi Corp.
Haswell said the organization wants Bank of America to stop providing financing for companies that use mountaintop coal-mining removal methods.
"It is a highly destructive method of coal extraction," Haswell said. "Bank of America has invested billions of dollars in companies that practice mountaintop removal in the Appalachian region, including Massey Energy, Arch Coal, and Alpha Natural Resources."
Haswell said mountaintop mining, in effect, explodes the top off mountains, leaving the debris to fall into adjacent creek beds, causing pollution.
Bank of America officials said today that they have a number of initiatives under way designed to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
The company has committed $20 billion over 10 years to lending, investing and creating products that support environmentally sustainable business practices. The bank also has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its energy and utility lending portfolio by 2008 by working with more customers involved in renewable energy practices and by tracking emissions level. It says its on track to meet the goal.
“The reality is that, as a country, over 50 percent of the electricity we all consume comes from coal,” spokeswoman Eloise Hale said. “Bank of America is aggressively investing in and financing the development and use of cleaner renewable energies.”
Due to the protest and the resulting rescue effort, police closed College Street between 5th and 2nd streets. And Trade Street was closed at the College Street intersection. Streets were reopened after the arrests were made, but traffic remained congested afterward.