BRATTLEBORO-“Today in Brattleboro, Vermont, the groundhog took a look outside and predicted six more weeks of the winter of our discontent, followed by an effervescent Peoples’ Spring.”
So declared Dan DeWalt of Newfane, one of the organizers of a series of protests at the Brattleboro branch of Citizens Bank at 894 Putney Rd.
The protests, which began on Jan. 26, are meant to call attention to the Rhode Island-based bank’s relationship with two major operators of private prisons in the United States and the recent activities of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and related agencies under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security.
In a news release, DeWalt said Citizens Bank “continues to maintain key financial relationships with CoreCivic and The GEO Group: two notorious, for-profit prison corporations that build and operate immigration detention facilities for ICE, provide transportation services to ICE, and operate prisons for mass incarceration.”
On Feb. 2, Groundhog Day, the daily protest of the Brattleboro branch morphed into a brief blockade. Fifteen protesters gathered around the bank, while some of their fellow protesters went into the bank entryway and blockaded the doors, preventing commerce.
After the Brattleboro Police Department responded, most of the people conducting the blockade peacefully dispersed. After two arrests, the protesters continued their presence.
DeWalt said protesters “are prepared to return to the bank every day this week to continue our action.”
“In the six days running that we have been protesting the bank, our numbers have grown each day,” he said. “We are urging the general public to join us and for Citizens Bank accountholders to close their accounts and demand an end to bank funding for terrorism.“
The protests have been organized by Patriotic Response to Renegade Government, a coalition originally founded by DeWalt in response to the Iraq war.
“We will no longer sit passively to the side while billionaires and banking corporations profit from kidnapping, abuse. and death, all in the name of white supremacy,” said DeWalt. “Citizens Bank cannot expect to be unchallenged for this financial crime against humanity.”
He said people can find out more information about Citizens Bank’s relationship to the private prison system at boycottcitizens.org, or they can contact the De-ICE Coalition at de.ICE.CitizensBank@gmail.com. They can also contact the bank directly at citizensbank.com/customer-service/contact-us.
A spokesperson for the bank declined to comment.
This News item by Randolph T. Holhut was written for The Commons.