On Tuesday, Tenants Together co-sponsored a march in San Francisco's financial district and a huge rally outside the Wells Fargo Bank annual shareholders meeting to protest the big banks' predatory practices and to hold them accountable to our communities.
As we are reminded every day on our Tenant Foreclosure Hotline, banks and the realtors and lawyers they hire, continue to harass and bully tenants in foreclosed properties. The big banks, including Wells Fargo, continue to evict innocent, rent-paying tenants after foreclosure despite the devastating effect these evictions have on our communities.
Though rain threatened to dampen the event, mother nature ultimately blessed the rally with a break in the weather and even some moments of sunshine. Hundreds of protesters from a remarkably broad coalition of labor, faith-based, and community organizations met at Justin Herman Plaza and marched through the financial district stopping at other banks along the way en route to Wells Fargo including Bank of America, Chase, and Citibank.
Tenants Together Program Director, Gabe Treves, leads the crowd in a chant: "Keep tenants in their homes!"
Members of Tenants Together along with Bay Area member organizations carried signs reading "Tenants if Foreclosed homes: We pay rent, let us stay!" and "Hey Big Bank$! Stop Evicting innocent tenants!"
The action was the first in a week of mobilizations for financial reform across the country, including an April 28th action at the Bank of America’s shareholder meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina and a national protest April 29 on Wall Street.
The event received widespread media attention. Here's a sampler:
Over 1000 Expected to March on Wells Fargo Meeting SF Appeal
Financial District Hosts Big Protest NBC 11
Protest at SF Wells Fargo Meeting CBS 5
Protestors Lauch Showdown with Monster Banks Alternet
Unions, community to Wells Fargo: We are not your ATM! Peoples World
Watch for Nela and Judy B with the Tenants Together banner at the end of the video!
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