Protestors Shut Down Citibank in Harvard Square
Cambridge, MA - VIDEO: Over 75 environmental and housing justice activists picketed Bank of America's Harvard Square branch on Tuesday, then blockaded the nearby Citibank for over an hour in protest of their role in the global financial crisis. They also highlighted both banks' complicity in worsening global warming by investing in coal energy. In addition, they held the banks accountable for destroying the Appalachian environment by strip-mining coal. The Cambridge Police arrested 4 protestors who chained themselves to Citibank's front doors. The arrestees are being arraigned today in Cambridge District Court. Updates on their situation will be posted to this article as they become available. The participants included members of City Life/Vida Urbana, Rainforest Action Network, and Rising Tide Boston. More information on the campaign against the banks is available athttp://www.dirtymoney.org.
Video Highlight: Soledad Lawrence of City Life/Vida Urbana attacks conservative Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby's take on the subprime mortgage scandal as racist saying "Go to hell, Jeff Jacoby. F&^* you and your analysis."
10/9/2008 UPDATE: Info on the arrested protestors follows ... they are being charged with disorderly conduct and have a hearing at Cambridge District Court on 11/4/2008 at 9 a.m. ...
Deirdre Lally, age 22, student at University of Massachusetts Boston
Julia Tredeau, age 20, employed at University of New Hampshire
Michelle Todd, age 21, student at University of New Hampshire
Tyler Kinser, age 19, student on leave of absence at Berklee School of Music
[Important Note: If you cannot see the above video in high quality (i.e., you can't read the signs people are carrying), please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pijlj0IrO44 and click the "watch in high quality" link at the lower right hand corner of the video. If you already have a YouTube account, and have set it to always watch videos in high quality, then you can just go to the link above without clicking the "watch in high quality" link.]