A-Infos (en) US, Chicago, "Assholes Bankrupting America" -- Banners Dropped in Chicago against Bankers & MORE

In the middle of the day on Saturday, October 24, a small group of anti-capitalist 
activists successfully dropped at least five banners denouncing capitalism and the bailout 
of banks from bridges in downtown Chicago. ---- The action was timed to coincide with a 
river tour boatride -- passing directly underneath the bridges -- of bankers, who are in 
Chicago this week for the American Bankers Association national convention. Given the fact 
that a few of the banners were seen still hanging hours later, activists believe that the 
bankers definitely saw at least two of them! ---- The banners said "Capitalism Is A 
Sinking Ship," "Assholes Bankrupting America," "Jail 'Em Don't Bail 'Em," "Fuck 
Capitalism," and "People Not Profit."

This action was done in solidarity with the larger anti-ABA protests happening in Chicago 
this week as well as with working people, children, families, the homeless and the 
unemployed across the US and the world who are suffering from the shameless GREED of 
bankers and their capitalist cronies in government who are systematically collaborating to 
"depress" the people (in so many ways) and STEALING OUR WEALTH!

This action is just the beginning ... From 10/25 to 10/27 many more actions will take 
place in Chicago targeting the ABA. Join the scheduled actions or -- better yet -- 
organize your own!

NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT ... Let's see autonomous uprisings and solidarity actions everywhere!

Pictures of the banner drop are posted at http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire.../index.php

ANARCHIST CALL TO ACTION AGAINST THE ABA: http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?...5155357966

More news from the "Showdown in Chicago" --

"Assholes Bankrupting America": Banners Dropped Against Bankers ~ 
http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire.../index.php
Economy Yielding ‘Very Angry’ People, Bankers Told ~ 
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pi...JYDmIjD_20
Showdown Against the Greedy Bankers in Chicago ~ http://www.alternet.org/workplace/143517
video: ABA Showdown: Fed-Up Taxpayers Arrive In Chicago ~ 
http://progressillinois.com/2009/10/2...own-begins
ABA Showdown: Protesters Storm Wells Fargo ~ 
http://progressillinois.com/2009/10/2...ells-fargo
Protesters in Chicago March On Offices of Goldman, Wells Fargo ~ 
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12565...TopStories
Pictures: Protesters Swarm Bankers Convention ~ 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10...33245.html
Protesters Invade ABA Convention ~ http://www.seiu.org/mt/mt-search.cgi?...p;limit=20

Shut down the ABA: "Wall Street Is At War With America"

Thursday, October 15 2009 @ 03:57 PM CDT

Contributed by: communitycntrl

The SEIU is organizing protests at the American Bankers Association annual meeting in 
Chicago on October 25-27th to demand changes from the banks. This will be the largest 
demonstration against bank greed since the financial meltdown began. Anarchists need to be 
there!



Following the success of Pittsburgh's recent G20 protests, where an often-photographed 
banner read "No Borders No Bailouts," anarchists need to stay involved and take an early 
role in the mounting anger around banks in order to deliver a critique of capitalism as a 
whole through the issue of the economic crisis and create a movement around fundamental 
change and not useless reforms.

Anarchist poster about the financial crisis:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21140663

Massive, angry protests at the meeting of the ABA ( http://www.aba.com/ ) will help shift 
the dialogue in this country from one where corporations are using popular anger to 
organize tea parties for their own benefit, into directing that popular anger at those who 
are really responsible, the corporations themselves.

Continuing the G20 momentum and demonstrating anarchist organizing models and perspectives 
for transformative change is critical right now to laying the foundation for a radical 
social movement to blossom over the next few years. The Great Depression was the last 
recession this severe, and the anti-capitalist social movements it created kept growing 
for a decade after the crash of 1929. During that time "production for use," became a 
popular slogan, and was meant as a contrast to production for profit in the capitalist system.

Anarchists need to be on the streets, in the media, and organizing with one another to 
confront these meetings of business groups, where the plans are hatched for fighting 
against any actions that would hurt their bottom line and help struggling Americans. Just 
like the WTO, IMF, and World Bank, these meetings are cabals where policies that effect 
millions of people are decided in secret. And just like those other organizations, we 
should attempt to shut down meetings of the ABA and groups like them. The ABA is 
undemocratic, secretive, and a criminal conspiracy to enrich the few at the expense of the 
many.

Below is the SEIU call to action and protest schedule. Join them on the streets, and 
organize with anarchists to strategize how to have a larger impact than a mere symbolic 
march in both exposing the criminal nature of these meetings as well as confronting them 
and demanding they stop robbing us all blind.

The following is from the SEIU:
"Tell Big Banks: We Need to Talk."
"On October 25th, America's bailed out banks will be meeting at the ABA convention in 
Chicago. These are the very institutions that drove America to financial meltdown, and are 
now using our tax dollars to lobby against reform.
This is being billed as the most important meeting of the year for the financial industry. 
This is when banks will decide what direction they take for the next 12 months.
We're the ones funding these banks with our tax dollars, we should have a say in how 
they're spending our money. Tell the big banks of the ABA to meet with us, the taxpayers, 
while they're in Chicago.
For America's banks, the past year has been in exercise in corporate greed gone wild. 
They've done nothing to clean up the financial mess they created, but continue to pay out 
billions in bonuses for their top brass. They pile fee after fee on their customers, but 
offer no help when homeowners get caught up in the housing collapse.
Enough is enough. Thousands of Americans, from across the country, are coming to Chicago 
on October 25-27th to demand changes from our banks. This will be the largest 
demonstration against bank greed since the financial meltdown began. Will you tell the 
banks to listen to our demands?
The reforms we're asking for are simple:
* Stopping foreclosures to save Americans’ homes and state and local budgets;
* Providing the same affordable loans to state and local governments that the banks 
receive from the federal government;
* Restoring small business lending to save jobs and tax revenue;
* Lowering interest rates on consumer credit cards and stopping charging abusive overdraft 
fees that take billions out of consumers’ pockets; and
* Allowing employees to negotiate compensation practices so they are no longer directly 
tied to quotas and unreasonable sales goals, targeting consumers with unnecessary or 
harmful products, and amassing consumer debt."

SEIU's Protest Schedule:
October 25, 2009
* WHAT: Taxpayers put big banks and Wall Street on trial for breaking their commitments to 
the American taxpayers.
* WHO: Hundreds of taxpayers from across the country who’ve lost their jobs, homes, and 
retirement security because of the economic crisis, workers, community leaders and allies, 
and academics.
* WHERE: 4:15 PM CDT
Hyatt Regency Chicago
151 East Wacker Drive

October 26, 2009
* WHAT: Demonstrations around American Bankers Association conference highlighting 
continued bank greed at the expense of America’s economy.
* WHO: More than 1,000 retirees, family farmers, clergy, workers, students, homeowners, 
and community allies.
* WHERE: To be announced

October 27, 2009
* WHAT: Taxpayer march on American Bankers Association conference to demand banks stop 
lobbying against needed financial reform.
* WHO: More than 5,000 workers, clergy, and community allies and leaders from 20 cities.
* WHERE: March begins at 10:30 AM CDT at Intersection of Wacker and Stetson.
Rally at 11:00 AM CDT at the Sheraton Hotel, 301 E. North Water St.

SEIU information from:
http://www.seiu.org/2009/10/its-not-j...-lewis.php and http://action.seiu.org/page/s/abarsvp

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