Ordinary Americans Launch Month of Actions to Demand Wall Street Act on Foreclosure Prevention, Job Creation, End Reckless Consumer Practices, and Stop Fighting Wall Street Reform

Kansas City, MO and San Francisco, CA - Thousands of clergy, workers, families, and community allies marched on the Wells Fargo shareholder meeting in San Francisco and in the heart of Kansas City's financial district today to demand Wall Street banks act to stop foreclosures, promote job creation, and end predatory lending and abusive consumer practices. Families also demanded Wall Street stop spending millions fighting reform efforts in Congress.

People are angry. The big banks created the foreclosure crisis, sank the economy, needed a taxpayer bailout, and are now spending money in Washington like never before to block common sense reforms that would protect people and strengthen our economy," said George Goehl, Executive Director of National People's Action. "Enough is enough. It's time we take the fight straight to the banks and hold them accountable."

Today's mobilizations kick off a month of actions across the country as the debate over tough new rules to rein in Wall Street's reckless practices rages on in the Senate. More than 10,000 Americans will converge on the Wall Street banks and their allies, including at the Bank of America shareholder meeting and on Wall Street this week and in Washington, D.C. in May.

"The business model of big banks seems to be to make money from squeezing their customers and Wall Street gambling without producing anything of value. It's time banks become part of making the economy work, not just profiting off of our hard times," said Rev. Dr. Mario Howell, clergy leader with Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization and the PICO National Network.

In San Francisco, Rev. Howell and other clergy and community leaders led a procession of workers and families through the city's financial district to the Wells Fargo annual shareholder meeting. A small delegation took to the floor of the shareholder meeting to share their stories and deliver their demands.

"Wall Street crashed our economy, but it's workers and our families who are being forced to clean up the pieces," said Al Marshall, a city employee from Oakland, California who spoke to Wells Fargo shareholders. "We're struggling to put food on the table, we can't afford our mortgages, and city workers like me continue to take furlough days and pay cuts to save our cities from bankruptcy and stop critical public services from being put on the chopping block."

As families took to the streets of San Francisco, hundreds more converged on the Bank of America and Wells Fargo corporate offices in Kansas City in one of the largest demonstrations the Heartland has seen since the economy collapsed.

"Wall Street just doesn't get it. It's time for them to change their habits," said Duke Dujakovich, President of the Kansas City AFL-CIO. "It's time they stop giving themselves millions of dollars in bonuses and start lending money again to small businesses on Main Street America to create jobs."

The series of mobilizations are being organized by a broad coalition of organizations including National People's Action, SEIU, the AFL-CIO and the PICO National Network.

Photos and videos of this week's mobilizations are being captured and provided to the media through the following websites:

* YouTube - http://YouTube.com/ShowdownInAmerica
* Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=ShowdownInAmerica

Thousands of Americans continue to take to the streets over the next month to hold Wall Street accountable. Below is a list of upcoming mobilizations. For more info, please go to www.showdowninamerica.org.

April 28, March and Rally at Bank of America Shareholder Meeting
Charlotte, NC
Hundred of clergy, veterans, families to march on Bank of America (BofA) shareholder meeting

• 9:15 am ET- March from First United Presbyterian Church (406 N. College St.) to Bank of America HQ (100 North Tryon St.)
  
• 9:30 am ET- Shareholder delegation press conference outside BofA
  
• 11:30 am ET - Closing Rally outside BofA

April 29, Showdown on Wall Street
New York, NY
Thousands to stage massive march on Wall Street to hold big banks accountable

• 4pm EDT, Rally on Broadway from Park Row to Chambers
  
• 5pm EDT, Thousands march down Broadway through Financial District

May 17, America's Families Take on Wall Street Lobbyists
Washington, DC
Americans from across the country descend on Washington, D.C. to take on Wall Street lobbyists and bank-bought politicians.

Across Washington, D.C. Details TBA

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