BoA’s predatory evictions

SAN FRANCISCO--More than 100 people rallied against foreclosures and evictions in front of a Bank of America facility in the Excelsior neighborhood on January 7.

Under the slogan "Banks: No foreclosures or evictions for profit," the action targeted Bank of America because it is the biggest offender in terms of predatory lending and foreclosures in the neighborhood.

Three Excelsior residents fighting to keep their homes spoke about the challenges they faced in trying to get the bank to be upfront, fair and transparent in its dealings. The action included a march past other nearby banks, including Wells Fargo, Citibank and Chase, and ended with a sit-in and speak-out in front of the bank.

The bank preemptively closed and locked its doors before the event even began, trapping one Occupy San Francisco activist inside. He was later arrested as he was trying to present housing justice demands to the bank.

The action was anchored by the Excelsior chapter of Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) in conjunction with Occupy SF Housing--a coalition of many groups, including Occupy San Francisco, the San Francisco Tenants Union, Causa Justa--Just Cause, ACCE, Homes Not Jails and the Eviction Defense Collaborative.

In bringing together Occupy activists, housing activists and neighborhood residents fighting foreclosure, the event was a step forward in expanding the social base and roots of the Occupy movement, and in infusing the Occupy movement's energy into a neighborhood struggle.

This was just the first in a series of actions building up to the January 20 Occupy Wall Street West. The next major action of Occupy San Francisco Housing will be on January 14 at 12 p.m. at the intersection of 16th and Mission.