news on the Bank of America coal crime protest

On August 31st, approximately twenty protests against Bank of America will
occur throughout the United States applying pressure on the bank for it's
investments in the coal industry. Between 2005 and 2007, Bank of America
facilitated nearly $1 billion in loans to Massey Energy and Arch Coal, two of
the largest companies responsible for the destructive practice of mountaintop
removal coal mining. This form of mining literally blasts the tops off of
mountains to get at thins seems of coal that lay beneath. Mountaintop removal
has permanently destroyed over 500 square miles of mountains and buried over
1,200 miles of streams in West Virginia. Bank of America is also implicated in
the financing of Peabody Coal's mining operations on native lands in the
Southwest.

In Blacksburg folks will be converging on South Main Street in front of Bank of
America at 4:20 pm and standing out front holding signs informing passing
traffic about BoA's investments in coal until right around 5:00. In addition to
holding a protest out front, some individuals with accounts at Bank of America
are planning to cancel their accounts in the course of the day. For folks who
want to arrive at Bank of America together via bike, meet at Bollo's downtown
at 4:00 and ride down together. (Folks are also encouraged to meet back up
after the protest at the War Memorial at Virginia Tech for Critical Mass.) The
coordinated day of action against Bank of America was called for by Mountain
Justice Summer and the local protest is being organized by Blue Ridge Earth
First!.