On Wednesday, Bank of America holds its annual shareholder meeting in Charlotte, and activists will be protesting that meeting in North Carolina and at events around the country, including Tampa.
The national actions are being led by a coalition calling itself the "Members of 99% percent," which earlier this year held protests at Wells Fargo's shareholder meeting in San Francisco and G.E.'s annual shareholder meeting in Detroit.
Charlotte police are on lockdown for the event. In January, the Charlotte City Council voted to grant City Manager Curt Walton the power to declare “extraordinary events,” establishing new city ordinances that allow police officers more latitude to search people and confiscate items such as chains and crowbars.
Activists say they're targeting BofA for multiple offenses, including foreclosing on millions of families and refusing to work with underwater homeowners to reduce mortgage principal.
This article appears in May 3-9, 2012.