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What do you call four environmentalists chained to a Bank of America branch in Copley Square?
By adamg on Tue, 04/01/2008 - 1:50pm
... But by 10 a.m., dozens of police had surrounded the bank and were waiting for equipment to cut through the chains and the bicycle lock looped through the door and around one protester's neck. ...
The story also raises that perennial question: Is Copley Square part of downtown?
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Comments
"Losers"
...would be my answer.
Personally, I would never consider Copley "Downtown".
When I first saw "Downtown Bank of America", I assumed they meant their Financial District offices.
I would never consider anything west of Tremont Street (or the east edge of Boston Common) "Downtown".
Out on a branch.
I've heard of tree sitting, but never branch sitting ...
why BOA?
Environmentalists trying to protect an ATM from what? Oh, I got it! The homeless people who, rather than freeze to death, hold up at night in the walk-in ATM. (All snark so if you don't think it's funny, don't bother.)
Does BOA have some particular role is destroying our environment or was the target chosen for another reason?
Back Bay? Downtown? Nope, not the same.
Back Bay, South End? Nope, not he same.
Back Bay, Kenmore? Nope, not the same.
The story does explain that
The alleged evilness of BoA, that is, not why the Herald chose to call Copley Square "downtown" - allegedly, BoA makes loans to companies who don't give a hoot and so pollute.
value-chain protesting
... value-chain protesting. don't protest the polluters, protest the companies that finance them.
kind of reminds me of Bob Joyce's tactics only Gary's reaping the reward and not the negative PR.
They should charge them a fee
I had to use a BoA ATM this morning to get some cash and ended up paying a non-native ATM fee of $3.00(!) to use their obnoxiously loud, bonging, beeping, LED flashing, mixed touchscreen/buttons interface.
I wanted to do something to the ATM, but the last thing I wanted to do was keep myself near it longer than necessary.
Why did you *have* to use their ATM?
Surely there were others within a short walk?
When Travelling ...
and faced with a BoA charge of $7.50 to use an ATM in SFO, I went to a Safeway and made a POS purchase with cash back instead.
The gatorade and wasabi peanut "surcharge" totalled $4.25.
Time constraint
Partly because I was running a bit late and partly because I looked around and the next closest bank...was also a BoA across the street. At Harvard and Comm Ave, you have to go about 3 blocks to hit the next bank these days. I also wanted to get a cab from the taxi stand near the McDs, so it was essentially BoA or nothing.
Depends on context
If it's a "Yeah, I'm tired of drinking at Daisy Buchanon's. Let's head downtown tonight" kind of thing, then no, Copley isn't downtown.
If it's a "Yeah, I'm tired of drinking at the Publick House, let's head downtown tonight", kind of thing, then yeah, Copley is downtown.
It's all relative, really. People south of the Charles, east of Kenmore and north of Melnea Cass tend to have different opinions on this sort of thing than everywhere else.
-Cosmo
http://boston.redfin.com/blog/author/cosmo.catalano
These "lock themselves down"
These "lock themselves down" geniuses? I'd forgo the bolt cutters, and just hit them with a good dose of skunk-spray-in-a-can. Let them deal with their brilliant choices. No arrests, no paperwork, no time wasted.
There would be an arrest,
There would be an arrest, and it be you.
That's assault...
I was born and raised in
I was born and raised in Boston, and it wouldn't bother me to call Copley downtown. Now that I think of it, we called it "going in town", but I wouldn't be bothered by calling any of the business district "downtown." The entire "downtown" district was once residential, so "downtown" is a recent and evolving concept in a 300+ year old city. I don't see any historical basis for being fussy about it. In any case, none of it is "down" as in Manhattan. The business district of old Boston is kind of "middle" now.
When you're alone, and life is making you lonely
I always figured downtown to be downtown crossing and everything within walking distance of it.this includes govt center, fanueil hall, the financial district and even chinatown
Chains they bind us
Does the article mention the fact that there were more police officers than protesters?
I do think it was quite odd that they chose to protest at this branch. I mean, there are plenty of Bank of America branches in that neighborhood - including a nice big one just two blocks up, at the corner of Exeter and Boylston streets. Actually, maybe the chose the "less" popular one, on purpose, so they wouldn't inconvenience too many people?
Nahhh.
In the scheme of things I'm concerned about, today, the evilness of a bank of a company that tears down mountain tops to make coal that harms the environment probably doesn't crack the top ten.
BPDnews.com
...The four females were seated and blocking the bank entrance door, prohibiting the public as well as employees to enter or leave the bank...
After refusing to disperse, the following individuals were taken into custody:
Adrienne Naylor, 23, of Dorchester;
Elise Ansel, 20, of Sunderland, MA;
Laila Murad, 17, of Brighton and
Candace Bollinger, 27 of Hicksville, NY.
All will be charged with Resisting Arrest, Trespassing & Disturbing the Peace and arraigned in Boston Municipal Court.
http://www.bpdnews.com/2008/04/protesters_arrested...
GO FANTABULOUS 4!!!
I'm a friend of Elise's and the reason they did this I think is pretty awesome. BOA sucks. And if you want to email me, go ahead.
[email protected]