Report from Chicago

guest post by run 75441

While the American Banking Association held their “Roaring Twenties” party to kick off their annual meeting, people from 20 different states, as far away as California, came together to kick off “Showdown Chicago” protesting the loss of jobs and the harsh and speculative practices put in place by banks and W$ since 2000. Friday’s events were spent teaching the group the various chants and acquainting them with how to conduct a peaceful protest.

The meeting was brokem up into an introduction of instruction and then a meeting listening to a panel of speakiers including Senator Durbin of Illinois who has been leading the effort to pass the Consumer Finance Protection Agency in the Senate. Having been rejected twice, he promised to continue his efforts in getting the CFPA passed. Including Senator Durbin, many of the same Senators backing the CFPA also voted “yea” for the Financial Services Modernization Act in 1999/2000 and the restriction on governing the derivaives market. They now find themselves voting for bills that will protect consumers which will still fail to fix the fundamental problem with W$ and banking.

The meeting broke up ay 6:30PM and the group formed outside to march to the ABA’s “Roaring Twenties” party. Like myself, others found it ironic the ABA would use this as a theme for their annual meeting in Chicago.

Some clips from the Showdown Chicago Site:

Wells Fargo protest
One Foreclosure
Goldman Sachs
Pictures of Protestors
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by run 75441