Close Your Bank of America Account to Fight Injustice

Climate action group Rising Tide is joining forces with City Life/Vida Urbana, a housing justice organization, to announce a mass action against Bank of America. Instead of the usual sign holding and chanting (which has also been taking place), they are asking people across the country to close their bank accounts on February 14^th– Valentines Day.

Why?

Because Bank of America continues to kick poor families out of their foreclosed homes and finance the ecologically devastating practice of mountaintop removal. The two causes may seem unrelated, but house foreclosures affect primarily low income families- many of them minorities, and harmful coal extracting practices often take their biggest toll on poorer rural families. According to Rising Tide, the pollution from mountaintop removal poisons the water in Appalachia and has forced people to leave their homes.

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A series of protests in Boston have been calling for Bank of America to renegotiate bad loans and allow residents of foreclosed homes to pay rent to the banks. Instead of addressing these demands directly, the bank made the weak promise to “review our policies and procedures”.

The proposed action is the latest in a growing trend where traditionally moderate or even conservative cultures in America are teaming up with left-leaning and radical elements to work on a shared vision. Saving the earth is as much in all of our interests as protecting the rights of all people of all backgrounds to have safe, affordable housing.

The action is currently centered around mass account closings in Boston, MA, but more information is expected soon about a nation wide protest. Contact Rising Tide Boston for more information.

Photo Credit: Tomathon on Flickr under Creative Commons License.