Homeowners Protest At Justice Department: Hold Banks Accountable

PROTESTERS DEMANDING PROSECUTIONS OF WALL STREET ARRESTED OUTSIDE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

“Initial report from Grace and Vivian of SF ACCE from the Occupation today of the Justice Department demanding that Attorney General Eric Holder jail the banksters:

Between 400 and 500 protesters rallied at the Department of Justice (DOJ), closing Constitution Avenue and the three main entrances to DOJ.  Folks demanded that Attorney General Eric Holder “Jail the Banksters” and “Not to Big to Jail.”

Leaders of the CA ACCE-lad Home Defenders League and Occupy Our Homes struggled with police for access to DOJ.  Members were tased (!!!), and seventeen were arrested, including our sister Rose Dennis of Oakland ACCE.  A large contingent are occupying the main DOJ entrance tonight, and anticipate arrest tomorrow morning.

Viv was quoted in the national Huffington Post report below.  ALL of the press led with “Homeowners Occupy DOJ.”  Here in San Francisco, twenty SF ACCE members occupied the N CA office of DOJ, and after a confrontation, forced the Attorney in Charge to FAX our demand letter to Attorney General Eric Holder.  Highlights of the local TV coverage included an interview with Viv in DC; a 2011 tape from back when she had long hair; and a classic Ross preach/speech,” posts Buckb. 

San Francisco ABC affiliate reports, “Protesters from San Francisco risked arrest in Washington D.C. Monday — they want bankers jailed over what happened with the foreclosure crisis. Click here for video.

The protest in D.C. was pretty large consisting of 400-500 people. The one in San Francisco was much smaller. Still, both had the same message that banks shouldn’t be too big to fail and that bankers shouldn’t be too big to jail.

Bayview resident Vivian Richardson was on the streets of D.C. protesting outside Attorney General Eric Holder’s office Monday. The 500 or so protesters marched to the Justice Department headquarters, angry over what Holder said in a Senate hearing a little over two months ago.

Holder told the Judiciary Committee he is concerned that some banks are too big. “If you do prosecute, if you do bring a criminal charge, it will have a negative impact on the national economy, perhaps even the world economy,” he said March 6, 2013.

Holder said that has an inhibiting influence on his department and he’s concerned about it, and he thinks Congress should be as well. But during Monday’s protests, Holder’s statement got boiled down to the phrase “too big to jail.”

In the nation’s capital, Richardson said bankers should be jailed. “Well, they created this. They created the crash of the homeowners,” she said.

In 2011, ABC7 News met with Richardson in her Bayview home. She thought she was about to be tossed out. Behind in her payments, the mortgage company filed for foreclosure, but they did not foreclose.

Richardson was offered a loan modification and in the end, still has the house today.

In San Francisco Monday afternoon, Ross Rhodes took a vocal part in the protest. “And our justice system is saying hey they’re too big to go to jail. Corporations are too big to fail,” he told a crowd. But he too escaped foreclosure. His lender, Wells Fargo, agreed to drop his interest from 7.5 percent down to 2 percent over 40 years.”

Protesters arrested after attempt to storm Justice Department

Washington Post reports: “District and federal law enforcement officials arrested 17 people Monday after protesters opposing foreclosures attempted to storm the entrances of the Justice Department.

About 100 protesters with groups called the Home Defenders League and Occupy Our Homes marched on the building about 2 p.m. Some set up tents on the lawn and sidewalk while others ran up to the building’s Constitution Avenue entrance.

According to D.C. police, 17 people were arrested. Ann C. Wilcox, an attorney who represents protesters, said several were tased during the scuffle. A D.C. police spokeswoman said D.C. police were not involved in the tasing. Federal law enforcement officials on the scene declined comment.

Police also closed Constitution Avenue for much of the afternoon, leading to traffic backups downtown.

As of 4:45 pm, about 50 protesters were standing in the street or sitting on the sidewalk, and police were preparing for more arrests. Officers equipped with crowd dispersal agents guarded the entrance to the Justice Department. A police helicopter circled overhead.

Jason Collette, a protester, said Attorney General  Eric Holder is the target of the protest.

“A couple months ago, Eric Holder said banks are too big to prosecute,” Collette said. “We think that is fundamentally wrong.” Read more on Washington Post and see comments.

For more stories and information:

• http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/protesters-arrested-after-attempt-to-storm-justice-department/2013/05/20/b298afb6-c18f-11e2-8bd8-2788030e6b44_story.html

• https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/05/20-6

• http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/05/home_owners_former_home_owners.html

• http://boldprogressives.org/protesters-arrested-outside-of-department-of-justice-protesting-lack-of-bank-prosecutions/?action_id=14943267&akid=.1754956.Qd9YhM&ar=1&form_name=splash-lightbox&rd=1&taf=1#.UZrhy-AyQVs
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/occupy-justice-department_n_3309305.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

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