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This Saturday has been decreed "Bank Transfer Day" by 99 Percent activists. On that day, Americans are encouraged to move their money from the nation's large banking institutions to community banks and credit unions - a way to both strike at the political and economic power of the nation's megabanks and empower local economies.
Over at DailyKos, user marvinborg recounts how he was handing out flyers about moving money at a local Bank of America branch. Soon after he arrived there, the branch's manager came out and started to suggest marvinborg worked for a credit union or that he was unemployed and should "get a job." Before long, two police officers arrived, after being called by the Bank of America.
One of the officers asked marvinborg if he was trespassing. He responded that he has simply been handing out flyers on the sidewalk. One of the officers then turned to the bank manager and amazingly scolded him for calling the police over an act of free speech, even telling him that he should move out of the country if he objects to the first amendment:
OFFICER: He has the right to speak and the right to hand out flyers. Unless he blocks you or causes a disturbance, he has the right to be here - please don't call the police again if he is not bothering you. If you don't like free speech you should move to another country.For information on how you can move your money, see the Move Your Money project here.
...I guess they're not all pigs!
Next time the bank manager may not be so lucky. Nothing like a tear-gas canister to the head or a night stick to the side to adjust your attitude!