REGINA, SK –
A group of local activist held a rally outside the Regina RBC main branch, armed with signs, information and handbills.
The impacts of this rally was immediate. Managers of all Royal Banks in Regina came to meet with the protesters asking them to leave as they were upsetting clients/customers.
Numerous clients went to their bank branches after speaking with the activists stationed outside and demanded to speak with managers or higher up’s because they were angry about what they had learned. There were a few clients that threatened to pull their mortgages if RBC did not suspend their financing of tar sands.
This resulted in Larissa Shasko, a lead organizer of this event, setting up a meeting with the regional manager for next week to further discuss this issue.
SASKATOON, SK –
Yesterday’s Fossil Fools Day activities in Saskatoon took place at the downtown RBC branch. Just under 10 people made it out to rally in front of the RBC, with an array of powerful posters, banners and “GLOBAL WARMING CRIME SCENE” tape surrounding the activists.
Activists were dressed in black as a sign of protest and to mourn the environmental tragedy that is the tar sands. Informational flyers were handed out to the public, many of whom were very interested in learning more about the rally and the issue. Around 50 signatures were collected calling for RBC to clean up its act and stop funding the tar sands.
Several news stations came down to the rally to get a look at the action taking place, and following the event a couple of us were invited to local radio station CFCR to talk about the Fossil Fools Day rally on air.
A number of RBC ATM’s around the city were decorated with crime scene tape and ATM screens, informing those taking out some cash as to where their money is being directed.
All in all, the event was a great success in bringing out some of Saskatoon’s concerned activists and spreading the word about RBC’s dirty oil secret!