“Later Is Too Late” Protesters Tell Wells Fargo to be a Better!

SAN FRANCISCO (08-16) – Continuing on with their non-violent disruption, activists with the group #StopBillioniares Summer, along with those from several other organizations, on August 15 shut down Wells Fargo global headquarters during a National Day of Action against the bank that took place in ten other cities across the country. In bringing their message to Wells Fargo, protesters delivered a petition with over 40,514 signatures from people around the world demanding that the bank “reinstate its climate targets, stop union busting, back off their proposal to sell off parts of the US post office, commit to racial equity and to stop financing ICE contractors along with weapons manufacturers who are carrying out atrocities in Gaza.”

Protesters went further by saying that “Wells Fargo is a key player in the web of billionaire finance, corporate violence, and climate destruction. We're demanding accountability and directly challenging their role in rising authoritarianism and repression.”

Adding visual impact to their protest, the ground floor of the building’s columns were wrapped with yellow crime scene tape printed with the warning, “DANGER – Climate and Human Rights Destruction Ahead” while others held banners, carried signs and handed out handbills reflecting issues of concern regarding the bank.

One group of activists performed a brief skit by wrapping a “billionaire” in the yellow crime scene tape while he was holding cash in his hand and loudly proclaiming that he was doing good through his fossil fuel investments. While this was going on, several bank customers including one on his bicycle visited the ATMs outside the closed branch office. One customer became infuriated at being inconvenienced by the presence of the large banner draped in front of the machines.

Christa Mancias, an Indigenous woman from the Carrizo Comecrudo (Esto’k Gna) tribe of South Texas, was one of several speakers who addressed the morning crowd. Mancias reflected on how the US continues to promote the genocide of Indigenous Americans by stealing resources and killing their communities through poverty, health-related issues and others across this nation. “Wells Fargo, you need to stop funding fossil fuels. Our seas are rising, so are we,” she said. “We are no longer letting you tell us what to do. We are fighting for our sacred land.”

Mancias spoke of South Padre Island, saying that “It will no longer be a place where you can enjoy clean saltwater, eat fresh Gulf shrimp, to have a place to have fun…because they are planning LNG (liquid natural gas) terminals on our sacred land.” The company, NextDecade, is constructing the first of three Rio Grande LNG projects at the Port of Brownsville which when completed will receive 4.5 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from the Agua Dulce supply area near Corpus Christi.

A major concern of area residents regarding the project, she warned, is that it is located only five miles away from where billionaire Elon Musk’s Space X and Starbase launch site where “rockets have exploded and dropped shards where the LNG is located.”

One such incident occurred in 2023 when a massive Space X Starship rocket, the largest ever built, exploded sending debris over an area six-and-one-half miles from the launch pad. This dramatically illustrated why some protesters carried signs reflecting the mantra “People over Profit” when calling for public safety, environmental concerns and climate justice over the whims of billionaires and corporate interests.

After shutting down business as usual at Wells Fargo, #StopBillionairesSummer revealed that on Monday August 18, they would be conducting a walking tour through San Francisco’s Financial District stopping for impromptu protests at institutions that are funding climate change through fossil fuel investments.

Report and photos by Phil Pasquini

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