Cross-posted from the Earth Quaker Action Team
Quaker Environmentalists Hold Trial Inside PNC Over Investments in Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
Bank branch closed for three hours as PNC refuses to meet with Earth Quaker Action Team
25 environmentalists and members of the Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT) held a public trial inside the main lobby of PNC Regional Headquarters on Thursday, charging PNC with “Impersonating a Green Bank”.
“PNC promotes itself as an environmentally responsible bank, but the truth is they are the nation’s #1 financier of corporations that practice mountaintop removal coal mining, which has destroyed over 500 mountains and led to thousands of violations of the Clean Water Act.” said Jonathan Snipes, acting as lead prosecutor in the case.
The trial, which featured a robed judge, prosecution, defense, and a full jury, caused the bank to close its customer branch for the duration of the event, which lasted a little over three hours. Four members of EQAT, acting as bailiffs for the court, stood in front of a row of management elevators and refused to leave the bank when directed to do so by PNC Security, demanding that the Regional President J. William Mills come down to the lobby and answer the charges on behalf of the bank.
“We committed this act of civil disobedience today to send a message to PNC Bank – that there can be no business as usual while children are being born with birth defects thanks to PNC investments. If PNC wants to be the green bank they claim to be, they need to stop all financing for any company involved in this criminal practice,” said Lina Blount, a student at Bryn Mawr College and one of the EQAT bailiffs.
At the close of the trial, the group held PNC Bank in ‘contempt’ for its refusal to send a representative to the Court, and delivered a verdict of Guilty, pledging that the seriousness of the charges and the requirements of justice would warrant further action. This is just the latest in a series of actions by EQAT, in solidarity with the people of Appalachia and the fight against MTR and Climate Change!
This kind of protest is essential if anything is ever going to happen toward the goal of ending mountaintop removal mining. There are many groups that have an anti-MTR position. I’d love to know the total number of people that ALL of these groups represent. What impact would a boycott of energy from suppliers that use MTR-coal have? If all of us who want MTR stopped simply shut off the main breaker or at least the lights and computers for 24 hours, would that show suppliers that they need to buy coal that is certified “MTR-free”. If power companies use 10% MTR coal and we showed them that we could cut their revenues by 10%, that would send a strong message.