SUN's Trip To The Showdown In Chicago

Carolyn Stanley of SUN: "I'm tired of people losing their homes and
threatening our whole
neighborhoods,"she said. "This protest is the only way we have to
tell the banks that
enough is enough." (photo by Peter Holderness--In These Times)

15 SUN folks jumped on a train late Saturday night October 24th and
began the 13 hour trek to Chicago. We were joining over 5,000
other folks from community groups, religious organizations and labor
unions for a three-day protest at the American Banker's Association
annual conference.

Dubbed the www.showdowninchicago.org Showdown In Chicago, it
was the brainchild of National People's Action, the national
community organizing network of which SUN is a proud member. The
action was opened up to anyone willing to come to Chicago and support
the savetheamericandream.org/our-platform/ basic principles of
bank reform: immediate relief to keep families in their homes, a stop
to abusive lending practices and the creation of a solid foundation
for homeownership.

Buoyed by supportive speeches from important allies such as U.S.
Senator Dick Durbin (IL) and the head of the FDIC, Sheila Bair, the
attendees
marched out of our hotel to bring our message to folks a bit less
supportive: A protest at the headquarters of Goldman Sachs. We
requested a meeting to discuss a suggestion that the huge financial
firm (a firm that received billions in taxpayer bailout support) use
its projected 2009 bonus pool of $20 billion to start a fund to help
families facing foreclosure. A demand for a meeting at the
headquarters of Wells Fargo, so they can explain a recent report
detailing their abusive lending policies, especially in neighborhoods
of color.

We always came back--all three days--to the American Banker's
Convention annual conference at a nearby hotel. The first night a
procession stretched several blocks long, where we met up with about
100 of our fellow protestors who had managed to go undercover,
dressed in suits and ties, get into the Banker's opening cocktail
party and stage an impromptu rally with bullhorns and chants of
"Shame On You!" Ask SUN Board President Dick Breland about this
experience--no one ever looked better in a 3 piece suit than out tall
and suave Board chair!

The highlight was Tuesday's massive march and rally--this time the
procession was over a mile long, featuring the heads of both the AFL-
CIO and the Change To Win labor federations, clergy from across the
country (including Rev. Jesse Jackson), union members from across the
midwest, and community groups like SUN from National People's Action.

The speeches were impressive, the message was uplifting and the event
was inspirational. But perhaps the most impressive part of the trip
was the discussions held by the SUN members returning from Chicago.
15 SUN folks, all inspired to bring that enthusiasm and desire for
change back to the Salt City.