Environment

Climate Action RI peacefully protests Chase Bank – Chase Bank calls the police

“These banks, like Chase Bank, they put $269B into fossil fuels in the last few years… We consider them a criminal bank…“ Just over a dozen people gathered outside the Chase Bank branch on Thayer Street in Providence on Monday to protest the Bank’s position as the number one funder of fossil fuel projects in the world. Chase Bank responded

Rhode Island News: Climate Action RI peacefully protests Chase Bank – Chase Bank calls the police

September 14, 2020, 1:42 pm

By Steve Ahlquist

These banks, like Chase Bank, they put $269B into fossil fuels in the last few years… We consider them a criminal bank…


Just over a dozen people gathered outside the Chase Bank branch on Thayer Street in Providence on Monday to protest the Bank’s position as the number one funder of fossil fuel projects in the world. Chase Bank responded by calling the police on the protesters.

“We’re very concerned about the predictions about flooding,” said Brian Wilder, who leads the efforts of Climate Action Rhode Island (CARI) regarding Chase Bank’s efforts to open multiple branches across Rhode Island, even as the company continues to be the number one funder of fossil fuel companies worldwide. “For Downtown Providence, the Port of Providence, Port of Quonset, Galilee and the whole Narragansett Bay, it’s very bad predictions. They’re predicting the waters off Rhode Island will rise by nine and a half feet by 2100…

“Chase Bank has the nerve to come here and ask Rhode Islanders to give them our money so they ca invest it in fossil fuels and help to destroy the planet,” continued Wilder. “These banks, like Chase Bank, they put $269B into fossil fuels in the last few years… We consider them a criminal bank…”

Wilder added that CARI is also demanding that Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design cancel classes, to be conducted by Chase Bank, to advise students on financial literacy and investments.

Chase Bank called the Providence Police Department in response to the protest outside on the sidewalk. Three cars arrived and three officers entered the bank and spoke with employees of Chase Bank before exiting, standing by the door for a few minutes chatting politely with protesters, and then leaving.

The event was entirely lawful and peaceful.