A23 Wells Fargo Shareholder Meeting Protests Draw Hundreds of Protestors, Demand Housing Justice

IMG_3112_1A protest at the Wells Fargo headquarters at 420 Montgomery Street in San Francisco took place on April 13, 2013, in coordination with a protest earlier the same day at the Wells Fargo Shareholder meeting held in Salt Lake City, Utah. These protests are a special edition of the Occupy Wells Fargo Vigil to Stop Evictions.

More than a dozen protestors from the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) and other organizations infiltrated the shareholders meeting and told Wells Fargo executives what they thought of their practices regarding predatory, illegal, and discriminatory lending and related foreclosures and evictions. Maria Alvarez, whose family is facing eviction by Wells Fargo, got to tell Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf to his face that he is a liar, then Wells threw the protestors out of the shareholders meeting.

IMG_3134_1Meanwhile, in San Francisco, about one hundred protestors from the ACCE (San Francisco and Oakland), Occupy Bernal, Occupy Noe, and the Occupy the Auctions and Evictions campaign held a memorial service in front of the Wells Fargo Headquarters and History Museum at 420 Montgomery Street. A trumpeter named Elaine played taps and Archbishop Franzo King delighted participants with his saxophone stylings. Various spokespeople read out the names of those who have lost their home or their lives to foreclosures and evictions, spoke in solidarity with those protesting in Salt Lake City, and listed off the many families still struggling to save their homes from Wells Fargo. After each name or section, the crowd chanted repeatedly, “Housing Justice, Home Security!”. Finally, Kathy Lipscomb and Merrie Jo Musni delivered some calalilies to Wells Fargo to complete the memorial service.

Links: Media Coverage    Videos of Wells Fargo Protest in Salt Lake City    Videos of Wells Fargo Protest in San Francisco   Photos of Wells Fargo Protest    Videos of Union Bank Protest    Photos of Union Bank Protest

Media Coverage

ABC 4: http://www.abc4.com/content/news/slc/story/Protestors-travel-to-SLC-to-rally-at-Wells-Fargos/bxvrOQVRw0ySHLv5QpLKXA.cspx

Associated Press: http://www.ctpost.com/news/crime/article/Demonstrators-disrupt-Wells-Fargo-meeting-in-Utah-4456961.php

Charlotte Business Journal: http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/bank_notes/2013/04/protesters-interrupt-wells-fargo.html

Deseret News: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/865578855/Protestors-target-Wells-Fargo-annual-meeting.html

Getty Images: http://www.google.com/hostednews/getty/article/ALeqM5gRHE2aisbbNKB1X2Aq31hpdgV86A?docId=167277289

Philadelphia Business Journal: http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/blog/jeff-blumenthal/2013/04/big-banks-met-with-protest-at-annual.html

Salt Lake Tribune: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/56197313-79/wells-fargo-meeting-bank.html.csp

San Francisco Bay Guardian: http://www.sfbg.com/print/politics/2013/04/23/wells-fargo-foreclosure-fighters-they%E2%80%99re-baaaack

San Francisco Business Times: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2013/04/protesters-hit-wells-fargo-annual.html?page=all

Videos of Wells Fargo Protest in Salt Lake City

Videos of Wells Fargo Protest in San Francisco

Photos of Wells Fargo Protest

Then, the group broke up with some people going on to protest an eviction by Union Bank at a branch nearby.

Videos of Union Bank Protest

Photos of Union Bank Protest

Senior and Disability Organizations Move Money Out of Wells Fargo

Senior and Disability Action and the Grey Panthers announced that they plan to move their money out of Wells Fargo due to Wells’ policies with regard to foreclosures and evictions of senior and disabled folks. Protestors from those and other supportive groups such as Poor Magazine, Occupy Noe, Occupy Bernal, Occupy Action Council SF, and the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) gathered at the Wells Fargo bank branch at 1 Grant Avenue in San Francisco at noon on December 18, 2012. Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters including Kathy Galves spoke at the rally.

Media Coverage: Fog City Journal    SF Examiner

Occupy the Home of Kathy Galves: From Foreclosure to Homelessness

Dozens of protesters held a press conference at the former home of Kathy Galves at 12:00 noon on October 23, 2012, to tell the story of thousands of disabled elders and families that end up homeless when they lose their homes. Wells Fargo foreclosed on the home of Kathy Galves, then evicted her and her sister in December 2012. Since then, she has been staying with friends and paying out of her pension to stay at hotels. “I have nowhere else to go,” says Galves. Kathy, a disabled, African-American senior, needs a safe, secure, and affordable home.

Thousands of elders and families have lots their homes to foreclosure here in San Francisco and they often end up homeless staying in motels, their cars, shelters, and even sometimes on the streets. Many of the foreclosures happen when someone in the family becomes ill and the family can no longer afford skyrocketing medical bills.

The event also highlighted the plight of 82-year-old Dr. Lehmann Brightmann, a Native American scholar and educator who is in the hospital while his family teeters on the edge of foreclosure and 80-year-old Fred Wahpepah, a Native American medicine-giver who needs financial assistance to prevent his home from going into foreclosure after his wife became ill and could no longer work.

The event was co-sponsored by POOR Magazine / Prensa POBRE, The Manilatown Heritage Foundation, The Idriss Stelley Foundation, and the San Francisco Bay View newspaper, with speakers from some of those organizations, as well as the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Occupy Bernal, and the Occupy the Auctions and Evictions Campaign.

Brother Robles of Poor Magazine and Manilatown Heritage Foundation speaks.

“Tiny” aka Lisa Gray-Garcia of POOR Magazine speaks.

Kathy Galves speaks.

Son of Dr. Lehmann Brightmann speaks.

Son of Dr. Lehmann Brightmann continues.

Tommi Avicolli-Mecca of Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco speaks.

Tommi Avicolli-Mecca of Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco continues.

Fred Wahpepah speaks.

Devina Estrella O Jai speaks.

Ross Rhodes of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Occupy Bernal, and Occupy Noe speaks.

Fred Wahpepah offers a closing ceremony.

Last Chance Sale for Kathryn Galves

Held over one more day:
9:00am – 6:00pm on
Sunday, April 8
1164 Church St @24th

9:00am – 6:00pm on
Saturday, April 7
1164 Church St @24th

On March 28, Wells Fargo Bank evicted our neighbor Kathryn Galves from the Noe Valley home where she lived for forty years, along with her sister Renita and their dog Betty.

Come discover some amazing bargains and help Kathryn raise rent and moving expenses (furniture, housewares, antiques, collectibles).

Link: Flyer (Please print, distribute, and post widely!)

Are you facing foreclosure or eviction? Or want to help others? Predatory foreclosures and evictions have no place in San Francisco. Check out www.occupyevictions.org.

EVICTION ALERT: Stop the Eviction of Kathryn Galves, Her Sister, and Their Dog

Update as of March 30: Please come shop for some great bargains the Last Chance Sale of Kathryn’s belongings from 9:00am to 6:00pm on Saturday, April 7, at 1164 Church Street in San Francisco. All proceeds will go to Kathryn’s moving expenses, storage, and rent and deposit for her, her sister, and their dog’s new home once we locate one. Kathryn and her sister are sorting through their belongings to get everything packed up before the deadline for the Wells Fargo settlement. We are asking folks who want to sign up for a shift helping with sorting, cleaning, moving trash and recycling, and assisting with a Last Chance sale of her possessions to contact communications@occupytheauctions.org.

Here are the latest pictures:





Update as of March 28: Kathryn accepted Wells Fargo’s offer of $7,500 to leave the property prior to eviction by the Sheriff, have all of her belongings moved out within 15 days, and not to sue Wells Fargo. She, her sister, and their dog are now staying at the home of a Foreclosure and Eviction Fighter. They are still looking for affordable housing and assistance with moving their belongings. If you can help, please call Renita at 415-618-9172.





Update: Kathryn’s eviction was postponed to Wednesday, March 28, 2012. Although Occupy SF Housing was able to obtain a week’s eviction delay and is helping Kathryn negotiate some kind of settlement from Wells Fargo, she has made the difficult decision of trying to move out prior to being evicted.

Request for Assistance:
Do you know of a place with an accessible kitchen where an elderly Noe Valley resident, her step-sister, and their dog could stay temporarily when they are evicted tomorrow morning (Wednesday) by 9:14am? Some rent money is available.

If you know of a place, please contact Kathryn’s step-sister Renita right away at 415-618-9172.

Also, if you are willing to help move Kathryn and Renita’s belonging from their home to a storage location (or know of a moving truck or storage location we could use), please contact Renita at 415-618-9172.


Please respond to this urgent action alert to stop the eviction of Foreclosure and Eviction Fighter Kathryn Galves, her sister, and their dog on this Wednesday, March 21, 2012.

Links: Take Action    Shift Signup    Background    Protest

NOTE: Please check here for updates… if you sign up, we’ll email you and/or call you if/when the eviction is postponed.

Take Action

Please take the following actions:

  1. Contact the lender Wells Fargo to request:
     
    “Subject: URGENT: Postpone Eviction of Kathryn Galves, 1164 Church St, San Francisco, Loan #0044722973”
     
    “Please immediately direct the San Francisco Sheriff to postpone the eviction scheduled for Kathryn Galves and family at 1164 Church Street in San Francisco. Kathryn has Wells Fargo mortgage loan #0044722973 and has found a cooperative buyer for the property who is willing to retain her and her sister as tenants. Please set up a meeting right away with the Wells representative empowered to negotiate a sale of the home, Kathryn, and the prospective buyer.”

  2. Sign up below for a shift of eviction defense on Wednesday at the home of Kathryn Galves at 1164 Church St. near 24th St. in San Francisco.
     
  3. Join and invite your friends to the Facebook event for this eviction defense.
     
  4. Join and invite your friends to the Occupy Wells Fargo Noe Valley Protest from 9:00am to 6:00pm on Saturday, March, 24. Download and distribute Protest Flyer.

Shift Signup

Background Information

Kathryn Galves purchased her lovely home at 1164 Church Street in 1972 and the home increased in value considerably over the years. She is a military widow who banked on the increased value of her property to invest in an out-of-state property with a Section 8 (affordable public housing) tenant. The investment did not go well and she lost more to book sales customers who didn’t pay for their orders. Kathryn lives on a fixed annuity income and her live-in sister earns a meager living as a caretaker. When her financial situation went sour, Kathryn filed a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, but Wells Fargo Bank successfully challenged the bankruptcy, then foreclosed on her home and it went to foreclosure auction. No one bid for the property at auction, so it became “bank-owned”, that is, owned by Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo has filed for the San Francisco Sheriff to evict Kathryn, her sister, and their dog from her home of 40 years. Kathryn has found a long-term neighbor who is willing to purchase her home and let her, her sister, and their dog remain in the home. Despite many requests by Kathryn and the prospective buyer, Wells Fargo has refused to come to the bargaining table regarding selling the home.

Kathryn Galves and Supporters Occupy Wells Fargo Noe Valley to Stop Eviction

Dozens of supporters of Kathyrn Galves occupied the Wells Fargo Noe Valley bank branch on 24th Street between Castro and Noe Streets from before 9:00am until 6:00pm today (March 24, 2012).

Hundreds of passersby signed petitions calling for Wells Fargo to delay the eviction schedule for March 28 and come to the negotiating table for Kathryn’s neighbor to buy the home and rent it back to her, her sister, and their dog. Hundreds also signed a petition to Supervisor Scott Wiener asking him to support the foreclosure moratorium resolution introduced to the Board of Supervisors by Supervisor John Avalos at their meeting on March 20. Six Supervisors already support the resolution which is scheduled for discussion at a foreclosures hearing in the Land Use Committee at around 1:30 or 2:00pm on April 2.

Links: Action Alert    Protest Photos and Videos

Protest Photos and Videos


Thanks to Peter for this video!

Occupy Wells Fargo Noe Valley Action to Protest Kathryn Galves Eviction

Please join us from 9:00am to 6:00pm tomorrow, Saturday, March 24, at the Wells Fargo Noe Valley branch at 4045 24th Street between Castro & Noe Streets.

We will be protesting Wells Fargo Bank’s pending eviction of Kathryn Galves, her sister, and their dog, scheduled for this Wednesday, March 28.

To call/email Wells Fargo to get them to the bargaining table, please go to the action alert accompanying this action.

This action brought to you by Occupy SF Housing Coalition and Occupy Bernal.

Background Information

Kathryn Galves purchased her lovely home at 1164 Church Street in 1972 and the home increased in value considerably over the years. She is a military widow who banked on the increased value of her property to invest in an out-of-state property with a Section 8 (affordable public housing) tenant. The investment did not go well and she lost more to book sales customers who didn’t pay for their orders. Kathryn lives on a fixed annuity income and her live-in sister earns a meager living as a caretaker. When her financial situation went sour, Kathryn filed a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, but Wells Fargo Bank successfully challenged the bankruptcy, then foreclosed on her home and it went to foreclosure auction.

No one bid for the property at auction, so it became “bank-owned”, that is, owned by Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo has filed for the San Francisco Sheriff to evict Kathryn, her sister, and their dog from her home of 40 years. Kathryn has found a long-term neighbor who is willing to purchase her home and let her, her sister, and their dog remain in the home. Despite many requests by Kathryn and the prospective buyer, Wells Fargo has refused to come to the bargaining table regarding selling the home.