Chicago, IL – In response to the announcement of over 1000 layoffs of teachers and staff, the Chicago Teachers Union rallied, marched and occupied the Bank of America (BoA) on LaSalle Street, Feb. 4.

Waves of union members, students and supporters from organized labor and the community filled the streets of the Loop as the march wound through the streets for several hours. At the start of the action, 16 teachers were arrested in the BoA lobby. Sarah Chambers was one of those arrested. When she was finally released at 11:30 p.m., she said, “We were there demanding that Bank of America renegotiate toxic swaps and return the money to the schools.”

Before the financial crash of 2008, the Chicago Public Schools borrowed a huge amount of money from a number of banks, with BoA among the largest. The bankers sold the loans on the false premise that they would save the schools money in the future if interest rates rose. In fact, the banks knew that a crisis was coming soon, and that interest rates would fall.

The CTU has confronted Mayor Rahm Emanuel on this matter, exposing that he won’t go to court to get relief from his banker cronies. Many other big cities have saved millions from such legal actions.

This is one of the examples that the teachers use to show that there is no need to lay off frontline workers in the schools, cut pensions or impose other attacks. As she headed home from jail, Chambers said, “CPS is broke on purpose. Rahm’s appointed Board of Ed is forcing their crisis on the backs of teachers and teacher assistants.”

The morning of the protest, the Chicago Tribune reported that Emanuel’s popularity had sunk even lower. 60% of likely voters supported the CTU, against 20% for Emanuel. With this level of solidarity, Chambers declared, “We will continue to fight back to protect our students.”

#ChicagoIL #BankOfAmerica #ChicagoTeachersUnion #RahmEmanuel #TeachersUnions

Trenton, NJ – In March, the Coalition to Save Our Homes asked New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa for a meeting. Many of our members have been harmed by predatory lending. We want Chiesa to hear their complaints. His office can do many things to help them. He said no.

On April 11 we went to Trenton to protest his refusal and demand that our requests be met. We hear of “liberty and justice for all.” It would be good to have it. But there is no equal protection of the laws when predatory lenders get bailouts and the people they harmed can’t even get a hearing. We won’t accept that.

We started the protest with a rally in front of the New Jersey Statehouse, where the governor’s office is located. There were 45 participants. It was a big crowd because it did big things. We gave center stage to the voices of people who have been harmed by predatory lending.

They spoke for all of the millions of borrowers who were swindled. They paid far more than their houses were worth. Some have been foreclosed. Some have lost their jobs. Payment records have been lost, ownership records have been lost. Many mortgages are underwater. Many have lost jobs and income because the banks drove the economy into depression.

Home prices have reached a nationwide average of more than twice true market value. It was price fixing. Lenders lied to prospective borrowers about things in the fine print. They roped buyers into mortgages they knew would fail. They selectively abused African-American and Latino home buyers with higher fees than those paid by economically comparable white buyers, and extended them more subprime loans.

All of these things are illegal. Nothing effective has been done for the millions and millions of people who were harmed.

We want the attorney general to do something about it. We want predatory lenders to be prosecuted for price fixing. They must be compelled to lower mortgage principals to reflect the true market value of the properties. There are many other things for which they could be prosecuted.

People came from all over New Jersey. They represented many organizations. Other concerns of people’s economic justice were addressed. One speaker talked about the impact of cuts in public services on low-income women and children. Another spoke about Irvington, which lost its hospital a couple of years ago and is now planned to get a medical waste disposal plant that the community does not want.

Then we marched through the streets with stops at branch offices of Wells Fargo and Bank of America. The Solidarity Singers gave us a song at each stop. Speakers got on the bullhorn to tell passersby what the banks had done to them. Too many people are passive at their mistreatment by the banks! Passersby showed their support. Drivers honked their horns. Then we marched to the Hughes Justice Complex, where the attorney general’s office is located. We chanted, “A.G. Chiesa, do your job!”

The attorney general’s office had been notified in writing that we were coming to give him a letter. The statement was read aloud to the assembly at the Justice Complex. At no time was there any obstruction of normal activity.

We were met by an officer of the State Police. He was courteous but he told us we could not enter the building, which is public. He said he would take our letter to the attorney general and deliver it, but we had to disperse. He said we could not be present as a group because we did not have a permit to be there!

We said we wanted to enter the building and turn our letter in to the reception desk of the attorney general’s office. A delegation of three went in. A second State Police officer told us at the sign-in desk that we would not be allowed to go to the office. Our attorney was with us. He told the officer that he had many times been to the attorney general’s office to do the same thing. All we wanted to do was deliver a letter to reception. The officer said we could not go to the office. We had to turn in our documents through him. We gave him the letter and a petition with well over a thousand signatures, but said it was a violation of free speech.

We went back outside. The day’s protest was over. The Solidarity Singers fell in, and started singing. People were singing along, hanging out, waiting for the bus. We had accomplished great things. Everybody was happy.

Then the police told us again we could not be there because, “You don’t have a permit.”

“To wait for the bus?!”

“You can’t hold signs.”

“But that’s silly.”

“If you don’t put away the signs and disperse I will have to call for more officers.”

We collected the signs. The problem was clear: the powerful officials who hold so much responsibility are afraid of us because we want to be protected by law from the banks. The bus arrived after a few minutes and we went home.

It had been a good day’s work. We want the attorney general to prosecute predatory lenders. We want equal protection of the laws. We want reinstatement of the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights. We will keep it up.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ejw7jA3ZCEE

#TrentonNJ #Foreclosures #WellsFargo #HousingStruggles #AfricanLiberation #BankOfAmerica

The protest received enormous support from those passing by, with drivers honking their horns and holding clenched fists out their windows and sunroofs. Local firefighters waved fists and honked in solidarity as they drove past.

A.J. Bridgeman, who traveled almost an hour to stand in support of Occupy Winston-Salem stated, “This event is amazing. For the first time in my life I’ve finally felt that North Carolina is fighting back against all these injustices that have been taking place these last years. There’s great potential here and I can’t wait for the next demonstration.”

Despite the hot sun beaming down, for the entire three hours, all 200 activists chanted as one, “The people united, we’ll never be defeated,” “We are the 99%,” and “Tell me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like!” Organizers of Occupy Winston-Salem handed out free water and donated food to help keep people going.

After the demonstration ended, several activists met at Miller Park to evaluate the demonstration and plan for a general assembly. The next Occupy Winston-Salem demonstration will be held in Miller Park.

#WinstonSalemNC #CapitalismAndEconomy #BankOfAmerica #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyWinstonSalem

Raleigh, NC – Over 1000 people gathered on the State Capitol grounds today, Oct. 15, as part of the [Occupy Raleigh demonstration](http://www.occupyraleigh.org). The rally lasted four hours, as speaker after speaker stood to denounce the budget cuts and austerity measures being forced upon working people of North Carolina.

At 1:00 p.m., 500 people left the State Capitol to march through downtown Raleigh. As protesters passed Bank of America, a roar rose up through crowd as hundreds chanted in unison, “The banks got bailed out, we got sold out!” and “Hey hey, ho ho! Bank of America has got to go!” Passers-by waved and signaled support to protesters as they chanted, “We are the 99%!” and “How to fix the deficit? End the wars and tax the rich!” The marchers went past Wells Fargo, Bank of America and other banks and corporations before returning the main rally at the State Capitol.

Citing deregulation of corporations, union-busting and political corruption, Sarah Appel, a teacher at Duke University, said she was motivated to attend the protest to be part of a movement waking up to organize for change in the face of “the complete bankruptcy of the bi-partisan political system.”

Seth Keel, a youth organizer with NC HEAT (Heroes Emerging Among Teens), told the hundreds assembled at the State Capitol, “We are the 99%, but the 1% owns us all and it's time to break down that system.” Keel emphasized, “The youth are here, and our futures are at stake.”

As people cheered, Keel continued, “This system is buying out students’ futures. Our tuition is going up and up as the corporate-bought politicians cut budgets, lay off teachers and cut teachers' salaries. Resources are taken out of classroom and students are falling behind because of these budget cuts. The Koch brothers and Art Pope continue to use their monetary influence to put people in office who want to privatize our education.”

Another march left the Capitol grounds at 2:30 p.m. and gathered support from passers-by in downtown Raleigh. As the permit for the protest expired, a general assembly of 300 people convened on the capitol grounds and protesters discussed next steps for the movement. Dozens of Raleigh police and State Capitol police encircled the assembly, watching and listening.

By nightfall, about 70 people had remained. 20 people had decided to defend their rights to assembly and speech and refuse to leave the capitol grounds. Raleigh police moved in to arrest these 20 at 7:00 p.m.

*Fight Back!* spoke with Eddy Samara, one of the people arrested at Occupy Raleigh, shortly after Samara posted bail. Samara said, “We'll be back. I felt strongly enough to stay because we have to stand in solidarity with all of the peoples' movements – from Wall Street to Madrid to right here in Raleigh. We have to assert our right to assemble and put forward a people's agenda instead of a 1% agenda.”

Occupy Raleigh organizers plan to convene the next general assembly at noon on Sunday, Oct. 16. All who participated in the day's protests were inspired to continue fighting for justice and solidarity against the economic and political policies of the richest 1%.

*Read more [Fight Back! coverage of Occupy Wall street](http://www.fightbacknews.org/news/special-coverage/occupy-wall-street) and follow [@fightbacknews](https://twitter.com/#!/fightbacknews) for live updates from #OccupyWallStreet protests around the country.*

#RaleighNC #WellsFargo #BankOfAmerica #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyRaleigh #NCHEAT

Within the last few years Newark, New Jersey and nearby communities have been devastated as thousands of homes have been foreclosed and tens of thousands made homeless. An Oct. 24 protest at Bank of America here, sponsored by the People's Organization for Progress, charged Bank of America and other banks are responsible for these calamities.

“We have come to hold Bank of America, Chase, Wachovia and other banks responsible,” People's Organization for Progress Chairman Lawrence Hamm told the rally. “Bank of America got a $45 billion bailout but what have they done? They have foreclosed homeowners, put elderly people in the streets, little kids, foreclosed small landlords with two or three tenants and put the tenants in the streets. They have raised credit card rates, late fees and finance charges.

“Workers, the working poor, the middle class, all are hurting,” he said. “And what did the bankers do? They went out and had a party,” referring to the lavish party the management of AIG threw for themselves after their massive government bailout.

Sweeping demands for Bank of America to repair the damage it has caused were presented to the branch manager in the form of an open letter to Bank of America Chief Executive Officer Kenneth D. Lewis. Protest signs demanded “Stop foreclosure,” and “Stop eviction.” One sign simply displayed the Bank of America logo above the huge word, “greedy.” Protesters chanted, “Help the needy, not the greedy” and “Bail out the homeless, the hungry, the jobless.” Literature was passed out that described the People's Mortgage Rescue Plan, a concrete proposal for a government bailout of homeowners.

Though the day was overcast and rainy the protest drew excellent attendance. The direct and militant confrontation with monopoly capitalism lent a meaning to the event felt by all. One passerby told protest organizers he did not want to hear anything but an attack on capitalism. He wound up staying through the whole protest. Several people spontaneously joined the protest and carried signs.

“A day of reckoning is coming,” Chairman Hamm said. “This is a problem not of just one wicked person but of a wicked system, the system of capitalism.” He said the protest is only the first and promised Chase, Wachovia and other banks that they too would get visits from People’s Organization for Progress.

Open Letter

People's Organization for Progress

PO Box 22505, Newark, NJ 07101

973-801-0001

24 October, 2009

Mr. Kenneth D. Lewis

Chief Executive Officer

Bank of America

Dear Mr. Lewis:

The People's Organization for Progress is a civil and human rights organization with chapters in New Jersey and New York. We are greatly concerned with the mortgage and foreclosure crises that have gripped our area and the entire country.

Bank of America and other lending institutions share responsibility for these crises. It is our understanding for example that Countrywide Finance, since acquired by Bank of America, was the largest originator of subprime mortgages in Newark.

We hold that during the housing bubble of 1999-2008 lending institutions used their great financial powers to drive residential price increases to levels that bore no relation to increases for any other goods or services. For instance the Consumer Price Index rose by only 22.1% from 1999 to 2006. Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller Housing Price Index, however, rose by 134.7% in the New York extended region in the same period, more than six times as much!

We accept no excuses for the housing bubble. The financial institutions caused it. They must shoulder the burdens of its consequences particularly in light of the huge public bailouts they have received, including Bank of America’s $45 billion. We will present the following measures to other banks as well.

Mortgage amounts were driven to artificially high levels. Therefore the principals must be written down to true market values. The human disaster of foreclosure must be met with a moratorium on foreclosure until adequate measures of general recovery are taken.

These are painful solutions for lending institutions and will require extensive reform and reorganization. The economy requires it for overall recovery, however. We demand that lending institutions including Bank of America undertake substantive initiatives toward these ends. Either we preserve the United States in its present form but not the banks in their present form, or else we rescue the banks but not the country.

Banks, including Bank of America, should reciprocate the bailout given them by the public with measures to bailout mortgage-holders. In view of the worst economic crisis since the 1930s mortgage-holders in danger of falling into delinquency should be given a 6-month exemption from mortgage payments.

The recent explosion of credit card fees and interest rates damages the consumer economy and makes recovery harder. Reductions in credit limits should be cancelled, and customers in good standing should not be terminated. Banks should look for other means to invest in local communities in the interests of general recovery.

We request a meeting with representatives of Bank of America to discuss these measures. We look forward to your early response. Otherwise we will be forced to continue our protests.

Sincerely,

Lawrence Hamm

Chairman

People's Organization for Progress

#NewarkNJ #EconomicCrisis #Foreclosures #HousingStruggles #PeoplesOrganizationForProgress #BankOfAmerica

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #BankOfAmerica #UELocal1110

Chicago, IL – The accompanying photos are were taken by Fight Back! photographer Kim DeFranco at the Dec. 10 noontime protest here, at Bank of America. About 700 people participated in the picket to back the workers at Republic Windows. At about 10:00 p.m. that evening the leaders of UE Local 1110 announced the victorious end of the occupation.

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #News #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #BankOfAmerica #UELocal1110

Bank of America has attempted to sow confusion about the state of negotiations. They put out a press release that the dispute between the 260 workers and the company over the unpaid wages, vacation pay and health coverage has been settled. However, the bargaining committee has continued to demand that the company also meet the terms of the WARN Act. In Illinois, the WARN Act requires a company to give 75 days of notice to their employees before closing. Therefore, Republic owes their employees 75 more days of work or 75 more days of pay.

For more information on the rally tomorrow, go to the web site of the United Electrical workers union: http://www.ueunion.org/uenewsupdates.html?news=434

#UnitedStates #ChicagoIL #News #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #BankOfAmerica #UELocal1110

Milwaukee, WI – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) demonstrated outside a Bank of America office in downtown here, Dec. 9, in an afternoon show of support for the United Electrical Local 1110 Chicago workers.

The Chicago workers, largely Latino, were laid off Dec. 5 by Republic Window and Door after Bank of America refused to continue credit to the company, despite having just received a $25 billion taxpayer bailout. The workers occupied their work site, earning international attention.

Armando Robles, President of UE Local 1110, speaking at the Fight Back! annual fundraising event, People’s Thanksgiving, on Dec. 6 stated, “We're not going to leave [Republic Window and Door] until we get every penny we deserve.”

Milwaukee SDS members who attended People’s Thanksgiving visited the occupying workers at the Republic Windows plant later that night. A 20-year company employee stated the place was his “home away from home” and that the fellow workers were “his family.” The occupying workers, arriving in 30-person shifts, were very encouraged by the local and national support of their occupation.

The National Working Committee of SDS has endorsed the workers’ bold and militant occupation. Numerous student protests have since taken place all over the country to support these working class heroes.

Despite a blizzard, about 20 people attended the Milwaukee rally. SDS students who just got back from an overnight visit to the occupying workers spoke over a loud speaker. The crowd also chanted, “Bank of America – you got bailed out, we got sold out!”

Natasha Morgan, an SDS organizer who visited the occupying workers and was attending the rally, said, “This is the end of the Bush era!”

Learn how you can directly help the workers by donating and signing their petition here: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/bankofamerica

#MilwaukeeWI #Labor #News #SDS #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #BankOfAmerica #UELocal1110

Chicago, IL – Women inside the Republic Windows plant raise their fists, Dec. 5. The occupation of this Chicago factory by mainly Latino workers is inspiring people around the world

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #News #WomensMovement #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #BankOfAmerica #UELocal1110

Charlotte, NC – Chanting, “The banks got bailed out, and the workers got sold out!” and “Bail out the workers and not the banks!” more than 20 people gathered here for a spirited rally in front of the Bank of America corporate headquarters. Called by UE Local 150, the action was in solidarity with the workers of UE 1110 who have occupied the Republic Windows and Doors factory in Chicago. Participants marched together into the office building to deliver a letter to Kenneth Lewis, Bank of America chairman and CEO, demanding that the Bank of America use some of the $25 billion bailout funds to provide credit to save the jobs at the Chicago plant.

#CharlotteNC #ImmigrantRights #News #UE1110 #ChicanoLatino #UELocal150 #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #BankOfAmerica