DES MOINES, Iowa--If you were downtown today (Tuesday), you might have noticed some protesters in front of several downtown buildings. Protesters from all over the country, gathered outside the Wells Fargo Shareholders meeting, underway at the downtown Des Moines Marriott. Protesters attempted to enter the meetings at one point, but were turned away. They held outdoor protests instead at 666 Walnut Street and other locations.
Saquib Bahtti of ACRE, (Action Center on Race and the Economy) based in Chicago accuses Wells Fargo of extracting wealth on indigenous communities, immigrants, and people of color. Protesters also maintain Wells Fargo has anti-worker practices, sends American jobs overseas, and fails to end predatory sales and banking practices.
Bahtti's group is one of several activists groups that travel each year to protest outside the Wells Fargo annual shareholder meetings. Organizers had scheduled similar protests in numerous U.S. cities today.
Protesters from Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI), joined in on the protest as well.