Over a hundred wor
kers, students, families and members of community joined Fight for Philly for a community picnic and protest against Big Bank greed.
Families and children enjoyed a little picnic in the park at 34th and Chestnut, while enjoying face painting, soccer, and other sports. After picnicking in the park, families took a field trip to the nearby Wells Fargo branch.
Of course, Wells Fargo had locked its doors before we even arrived. Having the bank shut the doors right in our faces was in keeping with the disrespectful attitude Wells Fargo has displayed to the community.Despite Wells Fargo’s provocation, our group remained focused on our message. Professor Josh led a teach-in regarding Wells Fargo’s harms to our communities while children took the opportunity to do some coloring.
Drummers led folks in an outside picket on Chestnut Street and community members spoke out about the bank’s failure to pay its fair share and its involvement in the swap deals marketed to the School District and City that have cost Philadelphia $331 million dollars.
Wells Fargo not paying its fair share of taxes and continuing to profit from shady deals with our city and schools affects us all, and the number of people walking by who stopped to join our protest made that clear. One woman outraged by what she was learning about the bank even grabbed the mic and told the crowd: “I’m going in there to take my money out right now. I can’t believe how Wells Fargo is making so much money at the expense of everyday people like us.”
Wells Fargo has been profiting off of the backs of the middle and working class families, with a shameful record of foreclosures, predatory lending to poor communities, and avoiding taxes that should have gone to keeping schools open and caring for our vulnerable.
As families and children protested Wells Fargo here, three members of Fight for Philly traveled 2,000 miles across the country to protest the bank’s annual shareholder meeting. Even though members had shares to attend the meeting, they were turned away, along with thousands of others. Wells Fargo once again closed its door on the people they hurt and are unwilling to take any responsibility for their despicable actions.