No name Newsroom

Last week, activists with the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) climbed 100ft to suspend a banner on Charlotte's Bank of America stadium, where President Obama is scheduled to make his nomination acceptance speech on 6 September. The banner read "Bank of America" with the word "America" crossed out and replaced with "Coal".

RAN is part of a broad coalition fighting the destructive practice of mountaintop removal. RAN executive director Rebecca Tarbotton told me:

"We see Bank of America as the worst of the worst," said Amanda Starbuck, a director at the environmental advocacy group Rainforest Action Network, which organized the protests. "There's a lot of momentum around Bank of America."

The banner that hung briefly from “Bank of Coal” stadium Wednesday was the first of upcoming protests that, four months before the Democratic National Convention, will test Charlotte’s ability to police waves of demonstrators.

Protesters will welcome Duke Energy shareholders at their annual meeting Thursday morning. Organizers say 1,000 activists will be on hand for Bank of America’s shareholder meeting next Wednesday. Another group vows to “occupy” a conservative legislative summit May 11.

However, at least one environmental group is chastising the bank for not addressing its status as the nation’s largest lender to coal-mining companies.