Friday, July 11, 2008 — Asheville, NC
Today – Asheville Rising Tide’s Billionaire Bloc descended on Bank of America’s regional headquarters to demand that BoA continue to invest their money in coal. The Asheville Police Department did an excellent job of blocking access to the bank entrance and the ATM, scaring off a number of bank customers.
Dressed in top hats, gowns, monocles and feather boas, these Billionaires for Coal staged a demonstration calling for increased coal development. They chanted “Get your dirty mountains off our clean coal!” and thanked B of A customers for their support.
Meanwhile, a group of counter-protesters handed out leaflets about the ecological and human-rights consequences of dirty energy investments and held banners decrying B of A’s support for mountain top removal mining. Some of the protesters apparently went inside the banks, raising a ruckus and handing out information until they were advised that the police were on their way.
Outside the bank – the motley crew of billionaires demonstrated in style, informing the public of BoA’s dirty deeds. Several passers-by who stopped to talk said that they would cancel their B of A bank accounts.
From Abigail in Asheville