As long as politicians continue to ignore them, I'd expect the protesters to continue to escalate their methods.
If only they could think of more things like: "Transfer Your Money Day" that actually has a chance of affecting banks, they'd have better results.
Now, if they started doing a voter registration drive across the country, that would actually scare some people.
Transfering your money helps you, but it also helps the big banks. You know why they keep trying to make fees for everybody? Because regular old checking accounts cost them money. You help the big banks by taking your money out. You help yourself, but you also help them.
There has been plenty of interpretive art at OWS, people with dollar bills taped over their mouths doing dances etc.
Transfering your money helps you, but it also helps the big banks. You know why they keep trying to make fees for everybody? Because regular old checking accounts cost them money. You help the big banks by taking your money out. You help yourself, but you also help them.
Checking accounts are extremely profitable for banks because they charge a transfer fee to the merchants every time someone uses a debit card to make a purchase. Add in profit from overdraft fees and they have been making money hand over fist with checking accounts and debit cards. The talk of a $5 montly fee from BofA was an attempt to recoup some of the massive profits recent legislation has worked to reign in.
There has been plenty of interpretive art at OWS, people with dollar bills taped over their mouths doing dances etc.
Nobody cares about your interpretive hipster dance. You have to do something of Improv Everywhere proportions.
Checking accounts are extremely profitable for banks because they charge a transfer fee to the merchants every time someone uses a debit card to make a purchase. Add in profit from overdraft fees and they have been making money hand over fist with checking accounts and debit cards. The talk of a $5 montly fee from BofA was an attempt to recoup some of the massive profits recent legislation has worked to reign in.
Never use a debit card, ever. There is no reason to. If you overdraft, you deserve what you get. Buy absolutely everything ever with a credit card. It provides a mountain of benefits for the consumer at effectively no cost. Never spend more money than you have. I have managed to do just that for over a decade with no problem. I pay absolutely $0 in fees to my bank, and they are most certainly losing money on me. I get a mountain of benefits, and they get almost dick.
Occupy Philadelphia members are right now foreclosing on a Wells Fargo branch at 1700 Market St. to demand that Wells Fargo and other banks pay their debts to society.
Occupy Philadelphia is serving a foreclosure notice to Wells Fargo for robbing the 99%. They will not leave until Wells Fargo bank-robbers agree to:
Wells Fargo is one of many big banks unfairly foreclosing on homeowners without giving them proper recourse, ripping people from their homes and leaving neighborhoods decimated. The bank used unfair and illegal practices, including falsifying paperwork and pushing borrowers with good credit into subprime loans, leading to a record $85 million fine from the Federal Reserve.
Currently, Wells Fargo is being sued by the cities of Memphis and Baltimore for racist predatory lending practices, disproportionately steering blacks and Latinos towards subprime loans. The US Justice Department is also investigating the bank for racist lending practices.
In 2010, the Philadelphia School district paid $63 million --about $14 million more than it spent on books and supplies-- to cancel money-losing swap deals with Wells Fargo and two other banks.
Tell the bank-robbers: Stop foreclosures, stop racist predatory lending, stop robbing our children. Protesters will not leave until these demands are met.
When: NOW, Friday November 18, 4pm
Where: Wells Fargo branch, 1700 Market St.
Who: The 99%
Media Visuals: Surprise street theater performance, signs, peaceful protesters
Interviews: Protesters and peaceful bank occupants, including Occupy Philly foreclosure team
Checking accounts are extremely profitable for banks because they charge a transfer fee to the merchants every time someone uses a debit card to make a purchase. Add in profit from overdraft fees and they have been making money hand over fist with checking accounts and debit cards. The talk of a $5 montly fee from BofA was an attempt to recoup some of the massive profits recent legislation has worked to reign in.
That is fucked up. Down here, Most people have a debit card and maybe one credit card, because it's the way to go.
Transactions don't cost you anything(no matter the transaction, you could be buying something from a store, or giving money to a friend, or whatever), many banks have waived the fees for using ATMs other than their own, and account keeping fees are usually about five bucks a month, but many banks will waive them under various circumstances - for example, my bank will waive the account keeping fee on your daily use account if you're on welfare, or if you're putting more than $2000 a month into the account, or if you have any sort of pension card, or (I think) if you're a student, with my savings account incurring no account keeping fee whatsoever, though you can't have a card attached to it.
However, transfers between your own accounts are instant, so if I needed to put 20 bucks on my daily use account from my savings account for (arbitrary reason), I can just whip out my phone, use my bank's app to transfer the money between my two accounts, and then I'm good to go.
I've never had a credit card, and I've never needed one. The only foreseeable circumstance where I would need one would be something like buying a new car, which I'd need a loan for - Credit history would be necessary, after all - but frankly, I don't see myself buying a new car any time in the near future, because a)I like older cars, and b)we've an excellent market for secondhand cars, but that's not really relevant to the discussion.
Wow, I leave the thread for a couple days and it explodes with activity. I love it. Scott, what you've said really resonates with me.
Plus, with the new bill that's working its way towards being a law, would you agree that it looks like the old guard is fighting back? They're trying to legislate and regulate the internet and control things like Reddit and 4Chan and Twitter.
That's much closer to the sort of thing I'm talking about. They have direct demands that can be immediately accomplished, while also not horribly inconveniencing everyone else.
Moving money out of large banks and putting it in community banks or credit unions definitely does hurt the banks depriving them of the transaction fees they get from merchants and whatever lending power your savings account afforded. It may be a small gesture but in aggregate begins to make an effect.
Honestly I think this is a perfect direction. It draws attention to one of the largest economic problems we have, a hotbed of unethical practices, ignored rules and exploitation, and enough visible illegality to be proper civil disobedience. Civil Rights workers sat at tables they were forbidden from sitting at. Ghandi went to the coast to make salt which Indians were prohibited from doing. This is not to say OWS is comparable to MLK jr. and Ghandi, but that successful protest methods of the past can be used as a guide going forward.
That's much closer to the sort of thing I'm talking about. They have direct demands that can be immediately accomplished, while also not horribly inconveniencing everyone else.
Also, that could get ugly.
Yeah, that could end get nice and ugly. But, it would be ugliness in the right place.
Plus, with the new bill that's working its way towards being a law, would you agree that it looks like the old guard is fighting back? They're trying to legislate and regulate the internet and control things like Reddit and 4Chan and Twitter.
That's what I was trying to get across in my too-long post above. If today's politicians continue on their course of trying to screw up the internet, maybe we'll see some action from the internet generation. Until then, I think they'll be too busy playing their Yoohootubules or whatever damned thing they do these days.
Labor has been giving support to OWS and has a petition that seems to lay out 8 good broad aims most who see need for reform could get behind along with a 9th field to add your own idea. It's not a bad place to start.
That's much closer to the sort of thing I'm talking about. They have direct demands that can be immediately accomplished, while also not horribly inconveniencing everyone else.
Also, that could get ugly.
Yeah, that could end get nice and ugly. But, it would be ugliness in the right place.
Plus, with the new bill that's working its way towards being a law, would you agree that it looks like the old guard is fighting back? They're trying to legislate and regulate the internet and control things like Reddit and 4Chan and Twitter.
That's what I was trying to get across in my too-long post above. If today's politicians continue on their course of trying to screw up the internet, maybe we'll see some action from the internet generation. Until then, I think they'll be too busy playing their Yoohootubules or whatever damned thing they do these days.
Hu-what? I was too busy watching this really funny cat video on YouTube.
Earlier in the thread a few people criticized 99%ers for not having a complete plan of action, a single message, etc. Did early anti-Vietnam War or civil rights protestors start out with fully formed plans of actions? No. Smaller groups saw specific injustices and started their protests and boycotts behind various local leaders. The movements then grew and strong leaders with clearer plans shaped these more isolated protests into full political movements. The difference now is that small local groups can pull in people from throughout the nation via instant media. These protests are the beginning of a movement that can develop into something greater; they could be a power for change. Rather than jeer at the disorganization, why not join in and help shape it?
Had you polled 100 Americans at the birth of the anti-Vietnam movement what protesters wanted, they would have been able to list accurate talking points.
Ask 100 Americans what changes Occupy Wall Street protesters want, and a very slim percentage are able to delineate their complaints, let alone goals.
Well, I'd suggest that the very fact it's the "Anti-Vietnam movement" might give you a small clue there.
Admittedly, you could call Occupy Wall Street the Anti-corporate greed movement, but what about the Ron Paul supporters who are flocking to the protests, because they want to end all government regulation of Businesses and banks, which is part of what lead to this situation in the first place and would basically entirely enable as much corporate greed as is possible, and probably crash the economy right into the ground? Or maybe the hipster dudes who don't give a fuck and are just there to get laid, or because it's fashionable. Or maybe the crazy people who are protesting the government, because they want to have the truth about 9/11 and the moon landings released. Or maybe one of the hundred other groups which are at the OWS protests, and are all screaming for something different - It seems that every single yahoo with a message claims the occupy movement has a simple and unified message, and that they speak for the occupy movement, which would be great if it wasn't a hundred different messages being claimed simultaneously. For example, I spoke of the local occupy protests here on the last FNPL, in which I discussed that it was almost exclusively taken over by crazies, because we have practically none of the problems that you have in the US around which seem to be some of the main talking points of a majority of OWS people I've heard from.
It's literally a pointless protest - "REGULATE THE BANKS!" "We do, a lot." "Oh...well, uh, DOWN WITH FOR PROFIT EDUCATION AND UP WITH STUDENT UNIONS" "Yeah, about that, we've got government subsidized education and interest free government loans pretty much universally for students. The biggest for-profit organization in our education system are the student unions." "oh, well...um...SOMETHING SOMETHING ONE PERCENT!"
Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration for effect, but you get the idea.
You want to know the funny thing? As members of the media, a shitload of people - occupy supporters and protesters - accuse us of being the reason for the 63% of people surveyed who don't know what the Occupy movement's goals are.
This is exactly the same as every video we see out of the protests. Perfectly cut to the exact moment where it looks like something wrong is happening, never what prompted the action.
This is exactly the same as every video we see out of the protests. Perfectly cut to the exact moment where it looks like something wrong is happening, never what prompted the action.
There is a lot of documentation on what happened. The UC Davis police moved in to tear down the tents on campus. Several of the students joined arms and sat down in front of them. It's extremely clear in the video that they presented no treat nor any action that would require the use of pepper spray in such a manner.
Here's a statement on the events at UC Davis (a school my brother just finished applying to): Police forced open the mouths of students and fired pepper spray into their throats when they pulled up their shirts to protect their nasal passages. Several were hospitalized, with one coughing up blood for 45 minutes after the event. Note that OC spray has been noted as the catalyst for several "positional" deaths, and that OC is still widely thought to have a high potential for toxicity, especially in riot-control concentrations. So, having these guys hose a irritant and potential poison directly onto the mucous membranes of non-violent protesters is entirely unacceptable. Every one of the officers involved should be stripped of their badges.
Jesus, what the fuck is happening back home? OC isn't even indicated to be sprayed on the throat. It's just senseless brutality.
EDIT: Per the State of California, there is a precedent for that officer to be charged with a count of felonious assault for every person he sprayed. Apparently, the US Court of Appeals ruled that it is illegal to attempt to disperse non-violent protesters with OC. Unfortunately, the cops will probably circle the wagons, and no one will ever be punished.
Had you polled 100 Americans at the birth of the anti-Vietnam movement what protesters wanted, they would have been able to list accurate talking points.
Ask 100 Americans what changes Occupy Wall Street protesters want, and a very slim percentage are able to delineate their complaints, let alone goals.
The anti-Vietnam War movement was married in large part to the Hippie movement that targeted a large range of issues and topics. As the war progressed, others outside of the Hippie movement joined in this one cause and it became its own entity.
Here's a statement on the events at UC Davis (a school my brother just finished applying to): Police forced open the mouths of students and fired pepper spray into their throats when they pulled up their shirts to protect their nasal passages. Several were hospitalized, with one coughing up blood for 45 minutes after the event. Note that OC spray has been noted as the catalyst for several "positional" deaths, and that OC is still widely thought to have a high potential for toxicity, especially in riot-control concentrations. So, having these guys hose a irritant and potential poison directly onto the mucous membranes of non-violent protesters is entirely unacceptable. Every one of the officers involved should be stripped of their badges.
Jesus, what the fuck is happening back home? OC isn't even indicated to be sprayed on the throat. It's just senseless brutality.
EDIT: Per the State of California, there is a precedent for that officer to be charged with a count of felonious assault for every person he sprayed. Apparently, the US Court of Appeals ruled that it is illegal to attempt to disperse non-violent protesters with OC. Unfortunately, the cops will probably circle the wagons, and no one will ever be punished.
I'm more disturbed at the actions of the other students then. How many people are in that video watching.
Comments
The 99%
BREAKING
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 18, 2011, 4PM
Contact: Jesse Kudler, jkudler@gmail.com, 617-974-3684
OCCUPY PHILLY MEMBERS FORECLOSE ON WELLS FARGO
Occupy Philadelphia members are right now foreclosing on a Wells Fargo branch at 1700 Market St. to demand that Wells Fargo and other banks pay their debts to society.
Occupy Philadelphia is serving a foreclosure notice to Wells Fargo for robbing the 99%. They will not leave until Wells Fargo bank-robbers agree to:
Stop foreclosures
Stop racist predatory lending practices
Stop robbing our children
Wells Fargo is one of many big banks unfairly foreclosing on homeowners without giving them proper recourse, ripping people from their homes and leaving neighborhoods decimated. The bank used unfair and illegal practices, including falsifying paperwork and pushing borrowers with good credit into subprime loans, leading to a record $85 million fine from the Federal Reserve.
Currently, Wells Fargo is being sued by the cities of Memphis and Baltimore for racist predatory lending practices, disproportionately steering blacks and Latinos towards subprime loans. The US Justice Department is also investigating the bank for racist lending practices.
In 2010, the Philadelphia School district paid $63 million --about $14 million more than it spent on books and supplies-- to cancel money-losing swap deals with Wells Fargo and two other banks.
Tell the bank-robbers: Stop foreclosures, stop racist predatory lending, stop robbing our children. Protesters will not leave until these demands are met.
When: NOW, Friday November 18, 4pm
Where: Wells Fargo branch, 1700 Market St.
Who: The 99%
Media Visuals: Surprise street theater performance, signs, peaceful protesters
Interviews: Protesters and peaceful bank occupants, including Occupy Philly foreclosure team
Contact: jkudler@gmail.com, 617-974-3684
References:
http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/20/news/companies/wells_fargo_fined/index.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/06/business/06redlining.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/27/us-wellsfargo-idUSTRE76Q5Y120110727
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-12-14/philadelphia-schools-to-spend-more-exiting-swaps-than-on-books.html
Transactions don't cost you anything(no matter the transaction, you could be buying something from a store, or giving money to a friend, or whatever), many banks have waived the fees for using ATMs other than their own, and account keeping fees are usually about five bucks a month, but many banks will waive them under various circumstances - for example, my bank will waive the account keeping fee on your daily use account if you're on welfare, or if you're putting more than $2000 a month into the account, or if you have any sort of pension card, or (I think) if you're a student, with my savings account incurring no account keeping fee whatsoever, though you can't have a card attached to it.
However, transfers between your own accounts are instant, so if I needed to put 20 bucks on my daily use account from my savings account for (arbitrary reason), I can just whip out my phone, use my bank's app to transfer the money between my two accounts, and then I'm good to go.
I've never had a credit card, and I've never needed one. The only foreseeable circumstance where I would need one would be something like buying a new car, which I'd need a loan for - Credit history would be necessary, after all - but frankly, I don't see myself buying a new car any time in the near future, because a)I like older cars, and b)we've an excellent market for secondhand cars, but that's not really relevant to the discussion.
Plus, with the new bill that's working its way towards being a law, would you agree that it looks like the old guard is fighting back? They're trying to legislate and regulate the internet and control things like Reddit and 4Chan and Twitter.
Also, that could get ugly.
Protesting foreclosures is a very good direction, especially if more attention can be drawn to the predatory practices often used for them. The idea seems to slowly be gaining traction
(links found through slactivist)
Occupy Atlanta Encamps In Neighborhood To Save Police Officer’s Home From Foreclosure
Occupy Cleveland Helps a Single Mother Stay in Her Home
Occupy Wall Street Protesters Occupy Harlem Boiler Room, Get Tenants Heat and Hot Water
Honestly I think this is a perfect direction. It draws attention to one of the largest economic problems we have, a hotbed of unethical practices, ignored rules and exploitation, and enough visible illegality to be proper civil disobedience. Civil Rights workers sat at tables they were forbidden from sitting at. Ghandi went to the coast to make salt which Indians were prohibited from doing. This is not to say OWS is comparable to MLK jr. and Ghandi, but that successful protest methods of the past can be used as a guide going forward.
Ask 100 Americans what changes Occupy Wall Street protesters want, and a very slim percentage are able to delineate their complaints, let alone goals.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/150164/americans-uncertain-occupy-wall-street-goals.aspx
Admittedly, you could call Occupy Wall Street the Anti-corporate greed movement, but what about the Ron Paul supporters who are flocking to the protests, because they want to end all government regulation of Businesses and banks, which is part of what lead to this situation in the first place and would basically entirely enable as much corporate greed as is possible, and probably crash the economy right into the ground? Or maybe the hipster dudes who don't give a fuck and are just there to get laid, or because it's fashionable. Or maybe the crazy people who are protesting the government, because they want to have the truth about 9/11 and the moon landings released. Or maybe one of the hundred other groups which are at the OWS protests, and are all screaming for something different - It seems that every single yahoo with a message claims the occupy movement has a simple and unified message, and that they speak for the occupy movement, which would be great if it wasn't a hundred different messages being claimed simultaneously. For example, I spoke of the local occupy protests here on the last FNPL, in which I discussed that it was almost exclusively taken over by crazies, because we have practically none of the problems that you have in the US around which seem to be some of the main talking points of a majority of OWS people I've heard from.
It's literally a pointless protest - "REGULATE THE BANKS!" "We do, a lot." "Oh...well, uh, DOWN WITH FOR PROFIT EDUCATION AND UP WITH STUDENT UNIONS" "Yeah, about that, we've got government subsidized education and interest free government loans pretty much universally for students. The biggest for-profit organization in our education system are the student unions." "oh, well...um...SOMETHING SOMETHING ONE PERCENT!"
Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration for effect, but you get the idea. You want to know the funny thing? As members of the media, a shitload of people - occupy supporters and protesters - accuse us of being the reason for the 63% of people surveyed who don't know what the Occupy movement's goals are.
Jesus, what the fuck is happening back home? OC isn't even indicated to be sprayed on the throat. It's just senseless brutality.
EDIT: Per the State of California, there is a precedent for that officer to be charged with a count of felonious assault for every person he sprayed. Apparently, the US Court of Appeals ruled that it is illegal to attempt to disperse non-violent protesters with OC. Unfortunately, the cops will probably circle the wagons, and no one will ever be punished.