Protesters Demonstrate Against Foreclosures From San Francisco Bank Roof
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Protesters calling for an end to home foreclosures are demonstrating from the roof of a bank in San Francisco's Mission District.
Six people climbed on top of the roof of the Wells Fargo at 16th and Hoff streets about 12:10 p.m., and about 200 people gathered on the streets near the bank.
About 10 minutes later, a fire ladder truck arrived and pushed its ladder up to the bank's roof near the protesters. No fire personnel had climbed the ladder as of 12:35 p.m.
A scattering of police observed the events from the street and sidewalk. Police said they will not make any arrests unless the bank asks them to do so.
Demonstrators chanted, "What do we want? No evictions!" and "They take our roof, we take their roof!"
Some people held signs reading, "Bank: no more evictions and foreclosures for profit!"
Bus routes traveling along 16th Street were not disrupted by the protest.
A statement released Saturday morning by event organizer Occupy SF Housing said that "targeting people for predatory equity scams, Ellis Act evictions or immoral home loans can no longer be tolerated."
Occupy SF Housing is a coalition that includes Occupy San Francisco, San Francisco Tenants Union, Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco and other community groups and individuals. The coalition said it aims to stop banks from evicting tenants and homeowners through foreclosures.
Ted Guillicksen of the San Francisco Tenants Union said, "It's well known how big banks have unfairly evicted homeowners. Less well known is how banks evict renters by partnering with speculators to buy apartment buildings, evict all tenants to raise rents or sell the housing stock as condominiums."
Event organizers say that Saturday's demonstration is a primer for a larger event on Friday that aims to shutdown the city's Financial District.
