As some of you may remember, I spent Sunday and Monday in Chicago attending "Showdown in Chicago" sponsored by multiple organizations and organized by National People's Action. Sunday was learning how to protests peacefully amongst annoyed bankers and police and learning the chants. The second half of the evening was spent listening to a panel of speakers which included Senator Durbin. Shela Blair appeared on Monday morning. Jesse Jackson was in attendance as well as numerous other notables. I was hoping for Dean Baker who was pushing this big time. Here are a few notes, pictures and clips fro the events.

Over the weekend and into Tuesday, thousands of people found one way to protest the banking and W$ excesses.

“Today, Goldman Sachs officials accepted our letter to Lloyd Blankfein and agreed to get it into his hands,” said James Mumm, Director of Organizing, National People’s Action. “In this letter we demand that Goldman Sachs stop working against the American people and instead start supporting common sense financial reform. We also showed Blankfein how he can be a hero this holiday season by directing Goldman Sachs take some of its projected $23 billion bonuses this year and redirect it to foreclosure prevention programs that work to keep people in their homes.” <link> “Thousands of Taxpayers Rally Outside Goldman Sachs”

The American Banking Association held their 2009 annual meeting in Chicago this last weekend with it running into the week as well. At the same time another group began to arrive in Chicago to protest the last decade of banking and W$ activities. Each group prepared for the eventual showdown in different ways. While the American Banking Association held a "Roaring Twenties" party to kick off their annual meeting; people from 20 different states and as far away as California came together at the Hyatt for an instructional meeting on how to protest peacefully amongst the bankers and the police and to also listen to a panel of speakers. While the roaring twenties symbolized a boisterous era of excess and prosperity in the twenties and a time for partying for the ABA; it symbolized for the protestors of Showdown in Chicago” the excesses of W$ and the Financial Industry with its policies, bonuses, and excesses. The stage was set.

The initial 90 minutes of meeting was spent on instruction on how to protest peacefully. A second meeting lasting till 6:30PM was spent listening to a panel of speakers including Senator Durbin of Illinois who has been leading the effort to pass the Consumer Finance Protection Act in the Senate. Having been rejected twice, he promised to continue his efforts in getting the CFPA passed. Including Senator Durbin, many of the same Senators backing the CFPA also voted "yea" for the Financial Services Modernization Act in 1999/2000, the change to the Banking Acting, and the approval of a restriction on governing the derivatives market. They now find themselves voting for bills that will protect consumers without fixing the fundamental problem with W$ and banking.

The meetings broke up at 6:30PM and the group formed outside the Hyatt and marched to the ABA's "Roaring Twenties" party. Like myself, others found it ironic the ABA would use this as a theme for their party and annual meeting in Chicago. Although the ABA did donate a rehab home, it was far too little and one has to wonder if it was once foreclosed. If more people did protest Sachs, BofA, Citi, Merrill, etc; Congress be paying more attention to the issues and W$ would be less obvious with their bonuses. As a representative for Angry Bear Blog and with Mary Bottari from BankstersUsa, we did capture a few minutes with Senator Durbin to discuss Glass-Steagall. I did remind the Senator there is a need for the Democrat Majority Party to begin to act like the Majority Party of the Senate rather than the Minority Party.

Some clips and pictures from the Protest:

<link> Wells Fargo Protest

<link> One Foreclose

<link> Goldman Sachs Protest

<link> Showdown in Chicago Pictures