Bank Protest Prompts Response from Wells Fargo

Tuesday, on Woodside Road near the branches of three major banks - Citibank, Wells Fargo and Bank of America - accusing the banks of "not paying their fair share of the country's taxes."

Gary Graham, a spokesperson for MPADC, said approximately 30 people turned out to participate in Tuesday's protest. As the group stood along Woodside Road near the three banks, Graham said many people honked their support as they drove by.

According to Graham, Wells Fargo in particular took offense to the group's accusations and requested police protection from the protesters, who were attempting to hand the branch managers of the three banks a "giant bill" for what they believe is the "fair share of America's taxes" the banks owe.

"Bank of America and Wells Fargo locked us out, so our presenters slipped the 'bills' through the door," MPADC spokesperson Gary Graham told Patch after the protest. "Three of our 'tax presenters' did reach a manager at Citibank though, and delivered our 'bill.'"

Graham said he felt the police presence requested by Wells Fargo was unnecessary, since their protest was peaceful.

"One of our members spoke with the officers as she left the premises and asked if they really thought we were a threat to anything," Graham said. "The officers replied that they knew we were not a problem, which is why they had been mostly standing in the supermarket parking lot across the street, away from the protest."

Ruben Pulido, a spokesperson from Wells Fargo, sent Patch the following statement in an e-mail following Tuesday's protest:

"Wells Fargo fulfills its corporate tax obligations.  Wells Fargo paid nearly $4 billion in federal and state corporate income taxes in 2011. And paid an additional $2 billion in 2011 for employment-related taxes, property taxes, and other taxes.”

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