Today, Occupy Wall Street’s “Fight BAC” campaign launched with a day of action starting at Pumphouse Park! We were on the scene, covering it via liveblog, LiveStream, and a curated Twitter feed, all of which appear below.
From: http://fthebanks.org/:
Bank of America (BAC) is a morally and financially dead “zombie bank” poised to shock the entire global economy into crisis. Its time to FightBAC and break up the bank! On March 15th, we will Foreclose on Bank of America.
The OWS Press team’s blog explains further:
Today, we will move our money, put our bodies on the line and bring Bank of America’s (BAC) crimes to light; we are ready to FightBAC. Starting today and continuing on the 15th of every month, Americans will “foreclose” on branches across the country–from Long Beach, CA to Phoenix, AZ all the way to Sarasota, FL (for a full list of actions see http://fthebanks.org/bank-actions/action-map) and take back what is rightfully ours: our homes. People will bring chairs, beds, potted plants, and other symbols of their Bank of America-funded broken homes into bank branches. The YouTube of the first FightBAC action has 55k views in just over 24 hours:
The video they’re referring to, which went viral this week:
Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone has been very focused on Bank of America in recent weeks. From his most recent article, entitled “Bank of America: Too Crooked to Fail:”
Anyone who wants to know what the Occupy Wall Street protests are all about need only look at the way Bank of America does business. It comes down to this: These guys are some of the very biggest assholes on Earth. They lie, cheat and steal as reflexively as addicts, they laugh at people who are suffering and don’t have money, they pay themselves huge salaries with money stolen from old people and taxpayers – and on top of it all, they completely suck at banking. And yet the state won’t let them go out of business, no matter how much they deserve it, and it won’t slap them in jail, no matter what crimes they commit. That makes them not bankers or capitalists, but a class of person that was never supposed to exist in America: royalty.
Here are some videos from todays action:
Vid: occupiers hustle furniture out box trucks onto sidewalk in front of BofA, set up a living room! Pt 1/2. #OWS #M15twitvid.com/YUR61
— Dicey Troop (@DiceyTroop) March 15, 2012
Via Briantelevision1′s youtube channel
@DailyOcc #M15 LIVEBLOG:
22.26 - nick
All of the peaceful occupiers arrested today have been released with minor charges.
16.34 - nick
People stream “Occupy” tape everywhere! #lulz #ows #M15 twitpic.com/8wrapx
— Carrie M (@CarrieM213) March 15, 2012
16.29 - nick
Back in the park. Crowd chants “Whos park? our park!” as well as “Spring is coming” to the NYPD
16.27 - nick
7 or so arrests outside BofA where occupiers set up a living room outside and spoke against BAC. Two trucks impounded. #OWS #M15
— Dicey Troop (@DiceyTroop) March 15, 2012
16.25 - nick
Earlier: At Moody’s, the #OWS march hears a frmr Merrill Lynch analyst explains: BAC’s doomed. “Downgrade BofA!” #M15 twitter.com/DiceyTroop/sta…
— Dicey Troop (@DiceyTroop) March 15, 2012
16.22 - nick
Officer Winski just told us on his bullhorn we are not getting our furniture back. #lulz It was dumpster dived, so whatevs. #ows #M15
— Carrie M (@CarrieM213) March 15, 2012
16.21 - nick
Dancing happily to “a anti anticapitalista” as the NYPD looks on. #ows #M15 twitpic.com/8wr3ec
— Carrie M (@CarrieM213) March 15, 2012
16.19 - nick
NYPD watching over our sofas and bookcase. That’s nice of them! #ows #M15 twitpic.com/8wr45a
— Carrie M (@CarrieM213) March 15, 2012
16.09 - nick
In homage to #OO #fightbac chants “Arrest us, we multiply. HELLA HELLA #Occupy“& “No justice, no peace, FUCK THE POLICE” #m15
— The Sparrow Project (@sparrowmedia) March 15, 2012
16.04 - nick
A woman with a film camera right in front of me was violently wrestled back by the NYPD. #ows #M15
— Carrie M (@CarrieM213) March 15, 2012
16.02 - nick
Then the NYPD moved in, too. #ows #M15 twitpic.com/8wqzjf
— Carrie M (@CarrieM213) March 15, 2012
15.58 - nick
#ows setting up furniture out front of boa #fightbac twitpic.com/8wqy5w
— allisonkilkenny (@allisonkilkenny) March 15, 2012
15.53 - nick
Our friendly officers Winski and Rudolph just told a guy he had to stop chalking. #ows #M15 twitpic.com/8wqw7x
— Carrie M (@CarrieM213) March 15, 2012
15.51 - nick
Dancing for democracy at a privately owned public space near Moody’s! #ows #M15 twitpic.com/8wqtzo
— Carrie M (@CarrieM213) March 15, 2012
15.40 - nick
Chanting “JP Morgan … Sucks! Take your money out now!” In front of Chase. @HelloFrances #ows #M15 twitpic.com/8wqr33
— Carrie M (@CarrieM213) March 15, 2012
15.27 - nick
“Mic check! Pigs lied and told us we could cross here. Let’s turn and cross at next street” #M15 #fightBAC
— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) March 15, 2012
15.12 - nick
crowd of about 200 people chanting “hit the road banks,and don’t you come back no more” in front of the world financial center”
15.08 - nick
Bank of America prop foreclosed door #fightbac twitpic.com/8wqg3m
— allisonkilkenny (@allisonkilkenny) March 15, 2012
15.07 - nick
Some great new chants and songs. “wall street wall street take a hike,now its time for a general strike”
15.01 - nick
March guidelines current being discussed. Action begining shortly
14.56 - nick
Another shot of police line #fightbac #ows twitpic.com/8wq6ew
— allisonkilkenny (@allisonkilkenny) March 15, 2012
14.49 - nick
#ows banner arrives. #fightbac twitpic.com/8wq74h
— allisonkilkenny (@allisonkilkenny) March 15, 2012
11.26 - nick
Ready to #FightBAC? Join us on #M15 to #FtheBanks! ow.ly/9Djm6 $BAC #OWS
— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) March 13, 2012
Occupiers peacefully assembled outside the winter garden - Photo by Eric MC Gregor
Live feed provided by OWSNYC Livestream Team Live feed provided by UneditedCamera
Vid: occupiers set up living room outside Bank of America, move in! NYPD get jelly, arrest 7. #OWS #N15 #FightBAC twitvid.com/V7BBX — Dicey Troop (@DiceyTroop) March 15, 2012
[...] days of increasingly well-attended and creative Occupy Wall Street actions in lower Manhattan (1 2 3 4), New York Police dispersed a large, peaceful crowd of more than 1,000 anti-capitalist [...]