About 80 ralliers organized outside the JPMorgan Chase Bank on Sixth Street on Monday to demand that residents and the city alike divest from the financial titan. The lunch-hour protest called on the city to follow Seattle’s lead in divesting. One call-and-response repeated: “Hey Steve Adler/ Break up with Chase.” Along with other big-name banks, Chase has loaned over $300 million to Energy Transfer Partners, the company backing the Dakota Access Pipeline and the planned Trans-Pecos Pipeline in West Texas. The city currently holds a $1.16 million contract with the bank.
According to Angie Holliday, who organized the protest, at least seven attendees canceled their accounts and “several folks” are in the process of moving mortgages and other assets from Chase. Holliday said more protests encouraging divestments will come, but urged interested parties to attend City Council’s March 2 meeting to show support for the divestment movement and encourage Council to look into “more socially and environmentally responsible” banks.
This article appears in February 17 • 2017.