Nationwide Protests Against AIG, Citi, BofA: Send In Your Reports

Outrage at Wall Street is reaching a fevered pitch. Watching AIG executives receive million dollar bonuses as millions of Americans face unemployment and foreclosure has inspired unions like the Service Employees International Union and political advocacy groups like MoveOn.org to call for a day of nationwide protests.

On March 19th, thousands of Americans are expected to answer the call and hold demonstrations in front of major banks whose behavior, according to the event organizers, epitomizes an era of CEO and corporate excess at the expense of broader prosperity.

We want your help to report on the protests that will be held this Thursday in over 100 locations across the country (protest locations listed at www.TakeBackTheEconomy.org).

First and foremost, if you're planning to attend a demonstration, please take photos of the day's events and email them to [e-mail] with "photos" in the subject line. Make sure to include your full name (so we can credit your work), location, and a caption describing the context of your photographs.

We are also looking for on-the-ground reports from as many of the demonstration sites as possible. Specifically, we want you to ask participants what they hope the protests will achieve and what they think needs to change. Send your report of 500 words or less to [e-mail].

You can send in photos, written reports, or both. We will publish your protest coverage as quickly as possible.

Comments

[rantenrave]

We have been informed that multiple groups will be staging a nationwide protest this afternoon. The groups will be targeting financial institutions that received bailout money from the government specifically mentioned on various websites are AIG, Citigroup, and Bank of America to name a few.

At this time LAPD has no information on specific areas that will be targeted nor have any official permits been filed with them authorizing the proposed activity.

We have received information from UPS Security that the AIG offices in Century City, located at 1999 Avenue of the Stars is a specific target of protest scheduled for Thursday, March 19 at 4:45pm. There is no information on the size of the crowd expected in this area.

There are also indications that there will be protests in the downtown Los Angeles area to include the Bank of America Plaza, US Bank Tower, Citigroup Center and possibly the Wells Fargo Center. There are no anticipated estimates available for the size of the demonstrations.

[CoffeeWithGibbs]

Boycotting these companies is the DUMBEST thing i have ever heard of. PEOPLE, we are partial owners of these companies. Anybody that is trying to bring these businesses down is only hurting themselves as tax payers. If these businesses go out of business, they will never be able to pay the government back. If you owned a restaurant, would you go around town telling people not to eat there. Of course not, cuz you would go out of business. We as americans should want these companies to do well right now so we can get our friggin money back, after that, feel free to go ahead and boycott. In the mean time.--- HAVE SOME COMMON SENSE and stop shooting yourself in the foot. DUH!!!!

[gwes]

It started with the politicians. get rid of them every 2 or 6 years. They suppose to serve the people and look out for the people.

[Carolab]

GET ON THE STREET!

[PhilipTaylor]

Financial Services Roundtable, lobby for Wall Street Banks! Origin 1912!

This may have been the LOBBYING GROUP that founded the Federal Reserve in 1913!

The first of The Financial Services Roundtable's predecessor organizations, the Association of Reserve City Bankers, was formed in 1912. The 1956 Bank Holding Company Act led to the 1958 formation of another independent organization, the Association of Registered Bank Holding Companies. The two organizations merged in July 1993 and became The Bankers Roundtable in October 1993. The Board of Directors, in a move that reflected profound industry momentum and anticipated Congressional passage of financial modernization legislation, decided in April 1999 to broaden the mission to represent integrated financial service providers. The Board simultaneously strengthened the Roundtable's impact as a "major player" on Capitol Hill and with the regulators. In early 2000, the first members from the securities, investment, and insurance sectors joined their banking brethren as founding members of The Financial Services Roundtable.

Blue Ribbon Commission on Enhancing Financial Competitiveness, co-chaired by James Dimon, of JPM Chase & Co., and Richard M. Kovacevich, Chairman of Wells

Excessive regulation slows innovation, imposes needless costs on investors, and stifles competitiveness and job creation. At same time, we should not engage in a regulatory race to the bottom, seeking to eliminate necessary safeguards for investors

It looks like Dimon and others were writing the De-Regulations in 2007 to make this an even BIGGER CRISIS!

http://www.fsround.org/cec/pdfs/FINALExecutiveSummaryCompetitivenessReport.pdf

[ConservativeHippie]

May I ask why you and Carolab so often work in tandem? I'll add that I'm glad to see you spreading truth about the banking corruption that's at the heart of our current debacle.

[greysells2]

Bonuses for what? Failure? Pending bankruptcy? This is the free enterprise system rewarding sucess! Vomit. Sorry about that.

[raven29520]

I have never defaulted on my accounts. Had my credit limits cut on all three cards down to the amount owed. I hate them all. My mother told me not to use plastic! I wish I had listened..­By the way did you know if you heat food in plastic containers in the microwave it releases poisonous toxins into your food? Complicate that with a piece of plastic saran wrap and it will drip toxins into your food/ Hungry yet?

[KeepMeLearning]

I'll add one more: Wash your plastic storage containers in the dishwasher and they start to break down and leach chemicals into your food... The more you wash, the more they leach. Yummy.

[DomainDiva]

Even though I pay off my balances each month, Citibank cut the credit limit on my business card from 65000 to 32500. The only reason I have the silly cards is to get American Airlines miles. American Express has treated me very well on the other hand and offers more card holder services anyway as well as a way to gain points for travel.

[VictoriaP]

Anyone have success with a a trusted online pharmacy? I don't have health insurance and would prefer not to have to pay an urgent care office visit fee to get a prescription written.

[gregson]

go to Canadian pharmacy online.com, they are great , you can get 90 days worth of medicine for less than you pay per month in the states

[VictoriaP]

I appreciate your assistance, thank you!

[Havnagudtim]

There are many options in Canadian pharmacies, what I do is write down the drugs I need, go to the individual sites for pricing/comparison. Watch the shipping charges, some are a bit high. Canadadrugs.com (800-226-3784) Good luck and best wishes. They also carry things you can no longer buy in the US.

[VictoriaP]

Thank you very much! I appreciate the information and will look into it.

[VictoriaP]

Some credit unions are not financially healthy, so do your homework. For the most part, the CUs are healthier than are the retail banks.

[kvet]

Instead of misused energy ?

Send them a clear Message !

If you have Bank Accounts with these Institutions ?

Close the Accounts and Withdraw your Monies....­..Im sure that will catch their Attention !

[VictoriaP]

I find it surprising that non-profit financial institutions are not eligible for the bailout or TARP funds. I can only surmise that this is becuase they would not legally be able to loot the cash and steal it the way they are robbing us blind right now.

Everyone should go to their local credit union (anyone can join a credit union) and open checking and savings accounts. Then, close you accounts with retail banks and also cash out your CDs.

If the government thinks they are too big to fail, let's see to it that they shrink down to a size that is not too big to fail. If DC won't shut them down, we should.

[Barbyrah]

Have been a member of credit unions my entire life...exc­ellent suggestion. Non-profit entities, volunteer board members voted in by those who do busines with the credit union, serving the community in countless ways. And great customer service.

[VictoriaP]

Unfortunately, my friend is an executive of a credit union and he told me of their inability to get any of the TARP funds.

[totaldisbelief]

remember the French Revolution?

[Workout60614]

I do expect Bobby Jindal to utter something akin to "let them eat cake" as he fights with his own legislature over whether or not to use stimulus funds.

[VictoriaP]

BANKRUPTCY FOR ALL:Everyone who has an enormous load of credit card debt and a mortgage that is killing them, should consult an attorney about just liquidating all of your assets and filing for bankruptcy. Millions of people should just stop playing the game and file for bankruptcy. What exactly does a credit score mean if nobody has a decent one.

I recenly helped a friend file after reading a book that I purchased online. I am willing to help anyone to do this. You can send me a private message on Twitter. I am VictoriasView. If you don't have any assets, you can request a waiver of the filing fee.

PUCK the creditors. They are taking our tax money through bailouts, paying it in bonuses and then gouging us on interest rates. Find a local credit union. They need your business and are non-profits.

[toypiano]

I thought the new laws prevented credit card debt from actually being discharged even through bankruptcy? The credit lobby wrote the new laws and they took effect in 2005, all to suit the credit industry, natch.

The banksters and credit card companies saw this revolution coming years ago and have set up the system to keep everyone legally enslaved to them.

Sen. Joe Biden was instrumental in getting this passed, by the way. I was sooo disappointed he did that.

[VictoriaP]

GOP-Liars and thieves!! Bush is the most hated ex US president. the world over. Funny how the GOP is on a high horse now about accountability, transparency, deficit spending, etc. These bastards are really such liars that I can't even listen to them any longer. They want to lay this on Obama without even an apology for dismantling all of the regulatory infrastructure and oversight.

[Zen0469]

Gives new meaning to the N.J. Devils hockey team logo "Stick a fork in 'em".

[wietog]

Revolution in the air...step­s to take:

1) CLOSE YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS. Put all your money into a trustworthy credit union (do your research) or offshore.

2) FORGET YOUR CREDIT RATING. Stop paying your debt. This may seem unethical, but the ever-increasing interest rates are, too. (Everyone's credit ratings are tanking - they won't mean a thing very soon.)

3) GET OUT OF YOUR HOUSE if you owe more than you own - don't pay the mortgage, just leave. Move in with friends who rent. Stay until you are evicted if you can and squat if possible.

4) STOCK UP on food, water, medicine and items to trade/barter. Gold should be your only investment.

5) LEARN HOW TO LIVE OFF THE LAND. Know how to take care of yourself and your loved ones.

6) ARM YOURSELF. Be prepared.

7) SURROUND YOURSELF WITH TRUSTWORTHY PERSONS. Be discriminating.

8) SHARE INFO that will expose the thieves and charlatans.

9) SPEND WISELY. Investigate where your money goes. Maybe it's time for all of us to stop filing taxes unless a refund is due.

10) ENJOY LIFE as best you can, no matter what has happened or may happen...

[VictoriaP]

Great post. Do you have any links related to the above?

[ConservativeHippie]

search: urban homestead, survivalism
I don't know your specific circumstances so I can't offer much but these should get you started. Good Luck.

[layman]

The stuped credit rating system is a scam to only protect big business, beause they want to have
their business running free of risk at your expenses, while the consumer shoulder all the risk. Then they use your private info to sell for profit without your consent. That is basically barbaric. But they say that's the American way which is a load of crap !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What happen to democracy ? Individual Right ? Consumer Right ? It's all phoney baloney !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Barbyrah]

And based on fear. It's all a fear tactic to scare people into compliance with "The Game."
Oops...me thinks it's time to create a brand new one.

[toypiano]

You're so right, layman. And have you noticed that we're no longer citizens in this country? We're called consumers now. That's the only real value we have, as consumers.

Screw that!