Wells Fargo, Terrified to Face Victims of Its Foreclosure Fraud and Predatory Lending, Locks

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/occupywallst/155141/wells_fargo%2C_terrified_to_face_victims_of_its_foreclosure_fraud_and_predatory_lending%2C_locks_shareholders_out_of_annual_meeting/

Wells Fargo, Terrified to Face Victims of Its Foreclosure Fraud and Predatory Lending, Locks Shareholders Out of Annual Meeting

On March 24, Wells Fargo, assisted by dozens of Bay Area police, took the unprecedented step of locking more than 100 of its shareholders out of its annual meeting – a meeting they had every legal right to attend.

These shareholders had a story to tell, and Wells' Chairman and CEO John Stumpf was not in a listening mood. They'd purchased stock in the bailed-out Wall Street giant, and then travelled from around the country to tell the board how its corporate citizenship gad ruined lives and wrought profound economic pain on entire communities.

The previous day, about 150 people had gathered in a church to strategize the day's activities. When Wells foreclosure victims were asked to stand, about 50 people stood up. When victims of predatory lending were asked to stand, another 30 rose to their feet. One woman explained how, after losing her job, she'd fallen behind on her payments. She said Wells Fargo had offered her an agreement that would allow her to keep her home, but had then thrown her out anyway.

The day of activism was organized by a broad coalition of groups working under the banner of the “99% Power Movement,” including the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), SEIU, Causa Justa, Jobs with Justice and Moveon.org. They were later joined by a rowdy crowd from Occupy San Francisco who filled the streets surrounding the Merchant Exchange Building, where the meeting took place, for several hours as the bankers hunkered down inside.

[izquierdista]

1. Cops assisting in law breaking?

Who is around that can arrest the cops for conspiracy?

[truedelphi]

13. Have you gotten a chance to rent the movie

"In Time" ??
Great commentary on who the police work for.

Very intriguing film, and although it takes place "in the future," it is far too easy to relate to what is happening in the flick.

[Jester Messiah]

2. That's primo lawyer-bait, right there.

Class action suit to follow?

[limpyhobbler]

3. A neat spin in socially conscious investing.

Instead of pulling money out of companies as a protest, buy stock to get into shareholders meetings. If enough people do it like in this case where they apparently had 100, it's a pretty big protest. They drew the company into a situation of having to lock out some of their own sharreholders, making this banking company look like a scumbag authoritarian institution in the eyes of neutral observers including other investors. Getting them to show their true colors.

[this is serious]

4. This group is a FRAUD. 99% Power is the same as 99% Spring.

It is just two names for the same group.

It is just a front group for Move On. All they want is to collect email addresses so they can spam us asking for money for Democrats.

They are just PRETENDING to take the actions against the banks to earn our trust. After they earn our trust they will turn around and try to link it up with the OBAMA Campaign. That's all it is. Don't believe the hype.

They are STEALING the symbols of the Occupy movement to support a political agenda. Instead the should join the true occupy movement. They initiated this action WITHOUT getting the support of a General Assembly first. It takes courage to go to the general assembly where we are all TRULY equal and creating a new world. That is the ONLY way we are EVER going to get REAL change. People need to WAKE UP and stop letting themselves be used by Move On. This is just the same old hierarchical shit that has failed us for years. I hope NOBODY buys into this crap.

"Stop believing in authority. Start believing in each other."

[cyberswede]

5. Do you support democrats?

Do you support the reelection of President Obama?

[this is serious]

6. I'll vote for him but we can never really make true change until we take the power back.

Instead of focusing on elections, people should have the COURAGE to be a leader of their local Occupy movement. Why not seek out your local Occupy and attend a General Assembly. Feel what true equality really feels like. True democracy.

[xchrom]

7. Did you read the article? OWS participated in the action.

There are places where OWS & 99% can & should work together on actions.
This was one of them.

[this is serious]

8. The fact that some supposed OWS supporters are buying into this Move On crap is VERY UPSETTING TO ME

They need to wake up and understand that nothing good will ever come of so called alliances with The Establishment.

It is only a matter of time before they turn on us and try to CO-OPT the whole movement to make it an arm of the Democratic Party and Obama's election campaign. That's all they know. They are The Establishment. They cannot simultaneously be part of the problem and part of the solution. Occupy is AUTONOMOUS and not affiliated with a political party. There is NO ROOM - ZERO ROOM for so-called alliances with POLITICAL groups!

If Move On is so concerned about foreclosures then why don't they all attend the general assemblies and see what true democracy looks like.

[xchrom]

9. I'm against co-option. But it's BullShit to think

There aren't places where we could & should work together.

1 thing has nothing to do w/ the other.

[ellisonz]

10. I'm pretty sure that is illegal. n/t

[sabrina 1]

11. Cowards. They did not mind ruining people's lives, but I guess they never viewed them

as people, now like Scrooge, the 'ghosts of Christmas past' are knocking on their doors, forcing them to face the actual people whose lives they destroyed, for profit.

My friend is one of those victims. She has now heard from them, trying to 'make a deal' hoping she won't sue. Too late for that. Good for Occupy and everyone else who was there.

[midnight]

12. Shareholders demands:moratorium on foreclosure and principle reduction for underwater mortgages

and end predatory lending... I really never thought of the shareholders as having a heart, but I'm shocked that they make such helpful demands....