Los Angeles, CA -Two women climbers scaled a downtown building today and partially unfurled a 1500 square foot U.S. flag displaying corporate logos as stars. The banner featured the logos of U.S. corporations including Citigroup, Nike, Enron and Occidental Petroleum, all major peddlers of business influence. The flag-banner is flanked by huge painted images, part of a towering Apple “Think Different” ad, of 20th century American advocates of democracy, including Martin Luther King Jr., Bobby Kennedy and Cesar Chavez. The giant flag, hung on the Figueroa Hotel at Olympic and Figueroa streets, directed passersby to a website: “www.soldoutusa.com”. Police cut the banner from the side of the building before it was fully unfurled.
Two climbers, Genevieve Raymond and Collete Merciers, both 26, were arrested this morning along with their two support people. All four were charged with trespassing and are expected to be released on bail this afternoon.
The activists preempted the upcoming Democratic National Convention slated to begin on August 14th across the street from the protest. Organizers vowed to hold both Democratic and Republican parties’ feet to the fire until corporate money is barred from politics.
“U.S. democracy has been sold to the highest bidder-big corporations-at the expense of the people’s voice and vote,” said climber Genevieve Raymond. “The Democrat and Republican represent little less than two sides of the same party: the CEOs’ party.” The 2000 Democratic National Convention is expected to attract thousands of people of conscience angry over their lack of representation in public policy.
“Politicians, beholden to their wealthy corporate sponsors, frequently act in opposition to what the American public really wants from their elected officials,” stated Ruckus Society Program Director Han Shan. “From the sell-out of universal health care to the privatization of the prison industry to the dismantling of important environmental protections, those who claim to represent us are prioritizing corporate profits over the real needs of people and the planet,” Shan said.
The public interest organizations called for an end to “campaign finance corruption” through an immediate moratorium on the financing of political campaigns by private interests. Specifically, they called on Presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush to reject any further funding of their presidential campaigns by corporate sponsors.
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