Radical Blogs.org

the people versus merrill lynch

Posted by admin
February 25, 2007

DYING FOR COAL.

People hacked up black tar. They cried black tears. Paramedics in biohazard suits desperately tried to save their lives. It was a lively day for the financial district of Boston. We left major banks and financial institutions nervous, scared, and on their toes.

Here’s a video of the carnage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xoaoNm7hVE

Last Wednesday across the country in major cities from Dallas to New York, Rainforest Action Network activists stormed branches of Merrill Lynch to hold them accountable for funding TXU, a corporation trying to build 11 coal-fired power plants.

I had the privilege of coordinating the Boston action.

It’s hard to describe how big of an impact these coal plants will have. First of all they are mostly being built in rural Texas communities, and I shouldn’t have to outline the class implications of building toxic dumps in low income communities and giving their children asthma. The local connections ran deep, as a similar company is trying to build a power plant in a low income community of color nearby in Chelsea. The power plant is being built right across from an elementary school.

The global impacts are staggering. These plants will release 78 million tons of greenhouse gases. That’s more than many countries. More than 21 combined U.S. states. More than 14 million new cars on the road.

RAN’s strategy was to follow the money. Some folks are challenging TXU on legal grounds, others through community pressure, others are trying to block their permits, other people are even activating the business community. But we know that even if TXU got it’s permits, they couldn’t function without financial backing. Three major banks were funding TXU: Morgan Stanley, Citibank, and Merrill Lynch. So far we have secured 20 banks who won’t mess with TXU.

There were actions across the country, but no standing RAN chapters in Boston. Most of the folks who came out were various friends and SDSers. In fact, SDSers were rocking in the New York Action too, which had a “Billionaires for Coal” meme.

Pictures of that action here:
http://www.digitalrailroad.net/astern/Production/PhotoGroupView.aspx?pbid=4&msa=1&pgid=7690967

In ours, people violently died and hacked up pollution that was really hot fudge. We were going to originally splatter charcoal around and smear it all over ourselves, but we figured that with it being ash Wednesday and all, the messaging might be confusing. Then we were gonna sling brownie batter around, but didn’t want to waste brownies (or potential-brownies).

After the climate change murders, we marched inside to deliver a letter from the RAN executive director to the CEO of Merrill Lynch. We were told that Merrill Lynch had briefed security that we’d be coming, and under no circumstances would they come down and chat with us.

Turns out they were listening though. Breaking news has it that TXU is crumbling, and the 11 power plants have now been scaled down to 3. A victory? We’ll see as the details unfold. I’m ready with my party hat though…

The action made the front cover of the Boston Metro, IndyMedia, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Spare Change News, and some local TV and radio. Holler.

The NYC and other actions made the New York Times, a million financial journals, and city papers across the country.
If you are hammering away at the brand of a company and need to increase the pressure and public visibility of your campaign, coordinated street theater works. plain and simple.