PHILADELPHIA – 9 members of the Earth Quaker Action Team were escorted out of the Philadelphia Flower Show by Convention Center Security today after staging a protest at the PNC Bank Exhibit inside.
The Earth Quakers, who used police caution tape and banners to set up a “crime scene” around the exhibit, had pledged to stay until PNC Regional President J. William Mills came down to the Flower Show to sign a “confession,” admitting PNC’s investments in the destructive practice of mountaintop removal coal mining.
Instead, Jean Canfield, VP of Community Relations for PNC Regional, came down to the Flower Show to insist that the President would not come himself, and that PNC refused to engage in any dialogue around their environmental policy.
When it became clear that PNC Bank had sent representatives specifically to refuse further dialogue, the environmental activists allowed themselves to be escorted out.
“Our goal today was to get PNC Bank representatives to come to the Flower Show and take responsibility for their investments in mountaintop removal. Although we are disappointed that Jean Canfield and a team of PNC Media representatives came all the way down here specifically to refuse to discuss this critical issue in front of the press, frankly we think that’s as good as a confession,” said Ingrid Lakey, Director of the Earth Quaker Action Team.
The Earth Quakers pledge to return later during the week and continue to shine the light on PNC’s criminal investments.
Coverage:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20110309_Environmental_protest_disrupts_flower_show.html
Thank you for raising awareness of this issues and it’s funders. We will be closing our account with PNC. Please do return to the flower show.
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Thank you EQATE! Thanks for taking a stand against a bank that finances the killing of Appalachian people via mountaintop removal.
EarthQuakers thank you for calling out PNC.
PNC bank is telling their customers that it is a green bank, they are putting effort into recycling, LEAD-certified buildings and even have a ‘green’ wall on their HQ. Their display at the Philadelphia flower show underlines this strategy that their being green is for-show, let’s name it, it is GreenWash.
As long as PNC continues to finance companies like Massey and Patriot, it will never be a truly green bank