Youth Activists Hit the Streets to Protest Bank of America

Energy Action Coalition

Just weeks before Bank of America’s (BoA) May 9 shareholders meetings, thousands of students pledge to move their money and took to the streets to demand Bank of America stop financing dirty coal and bankrupting our future with predatory lending and student debt. Energy Action Coalition, along with student and youth organizations across the country, organized a day of action against Bank of America in 7 cities on April 25, the day students debt rose to $1 trillion. More than 2,000 students have pledged to not do business with Bank of America and continue to take action.

“Young people across the country are sick of Bank of America threatening our future with investments in coal,” said Maura Cowley, executive director of Energy Action Coalition. “Thousands of young people are ready to use their financial power, creativity and campuses to ensure that Bank of America cleans up it’s act.”

Bank of America is the top financier of the U.S. coal industry, the top forecloser on American homes and one of the biggest holders of student loan debt. In the lead-up to BoA’s May 9 Shareholder Meeting, environmental and economic justice groups are joining together to demand that Bank of America stop bankrupting our future.

April 25th’s Day of Action against Bank of America and student debt included students at George Washington University hosting a teach-in on student debt outside a campus branch of Bank of America, students at University of Massachusetts, Amherst burning their students loans outside their Bank of America branch, along with students at Yale University, University of Chicago, University of Oregon, University of Texas and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill taking creative actions against Bank of America and student debt. To cap off the day of actions, activists in Washington, D.C. turned Bank of America ATMs in the city into “automated truth machines” by posting special non-adhesive stickers mimicking BofA’s ATM interface to show the truth about their detrimental policies.

“Our national day of action was only the beginning of our call to Bank Of America to stop financing dirty coal and bankrupting our future,” said Tait Chandler, a student at UNC-Chapel Hill. “Students across the country are using their financial power to demand Bank of America clean up their act, and we’re delivering those demands right here in North Carolina, where Bank of America is headquartered.”

For photos of the national actions, click here.

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