VIDEO: Climate Killer Bank Of America Feels The Heat From Coast To Coast

By Rainforest Action Network
Asheville BoA protest
Climate activists chained to wind turbine on lawn at Asheville BoA branch. Photo Credit: Mountain Express.

From coast to coast, the heat is on Bank of America for its bad practices.

Yesterday, a second action in the past two weeks took place in Bank of America’s home state of North Carolina, resulting in multiple arrests at a BoA branch, this time with Appalachian residents fed up with the company and its insistence on bankrolling the coal industry. If the protest sounds familiar, its because the actions against the bank have become commonplace across the nation in the past few months.

Pointing to better energy alternatives than continuing to rely on coal, six activists were arrested in Asheville after a professor and student chained themselves to a symbolic wind turbine on the lawn of a local BoA branch. Over 60 people converged on the local branch to support the action and encourage customers to close their accounts.

The two read their statement aloud to bank managers to explain their actions: “Today we gathered in solidarity to call on Bank of America to stop funding the deadly coal industry, which poisons our air and water with pollution, destabilizes the climate with carbon dioxide emissions and destroys Appalachian communities with mountain top removal mining.”

The awesome action today in Asheville was inspired in part by RAN’s Not With Our Money for Coal action last month at BoA headquarters in Charlotte. Check out this great video that shows eight protesters getting arrested when they demanded BoA divest from coal, right at the front doors of the company’s iconic headquarters skyscraper in uptown Charlotte:

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The momentum is building against BoA outside of North Carolina, as well. In November alone, hundreds of protests at Bank of America branches have been reported, many of them focused on the ill effect of coal investments on the environment and human health. Just over a month ago, in Portland, Oregon, a group of activists from Portland Rising Tride dressed up as zombies and resurrected the first ever Undead Zombie Army Against Coal, marching from Occupy Portland to two Bank of America branches. The group also produced this hilarious and informative video:

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Also in Oregon, a broad climate coalition brought together a large crowd in Eugene and hosted a lively march and rally focused on BoA investments into coal export terminal developments on the West Coast.

Check out this great video to feel the gravitational pull for the 99% that are standing up against big banks and climate change, all over.

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In St. Louis, Washington State University students staged a loud protest at a BoA branch on campus, while students closed their accounts with the bank.

In Chicago, steady bank protests and broad coalition account closure pushes dotted November’s calender with a myriad of well-attended protest actions. While some activists were symbolically closing bank branches due to “climate crimes,” others were unfurling a large banner from a central train platform that read, “Bank of America Funding Coal: Giving Pilsen Asthma.”

Standby for more, Bank of America.