Bah, Humbug!
The Chase branch at the corner of 51st and Broadway in Oakland, California shut itself down this afternoon when a merry band of #Occu-Carolers went into the lobby, demanded that the loan modification officer who is in charge of the property that belongs to Gayla Newsome speak to Gayla, and started singing their own Fractured Christmas Carols.
Said loan modification officer refused to speak to Gayla. The bank, perhaps fearing an outbreak of Good Will Towards Men, panicked and shut down the branch temporarily. The police eventually arrived, were actually reasonable, or so I was told, and eventually everyone left.
I got there just as people were dispersing, but managed to get my hands on the handout containing the revised holiday lyrics. I don't know who made them up; there is no attribution on the handout, but go below the Kos Squiggle for a taste.
Arrest ye Merry Bankermen
while profiting today
you crashed the whole economy
and nothing did you pay
you through us under unfair rule
when you did go astray
pilaging our comfort and joy
confort and joy
pilaging our comfort and joy
...
On the first month of default
my true love said to me
"We lost all of our equity."
On the second month of default
my true love said to me
"There's two past due letters and
we lost all of our equity."
On the third month of default
my true love said to me
"Our bank got $3,000,000,000
there's two past due letters and
we lost all of our equity."
On the fourth month of default
my true love said to me
"We have four calling collectors
Our bank got $3,000,000,000
there's two past due letters and
we lost all of our equity."
On the fifth month of default
my true love said to me
"We need to be worry free."
Organize our friends
Fight to Save our Homes
Don't answer any phones
and the heck with the equity."
On the sixth month of default
my true love said to me
"The bankers are not happy
we ought to save our home.
Our friends are all around us
and we've gained back our dignity."
Photo credit: allie123, via a twitpic tweeting as alyssa011968.