Was the Bank of America ‘Occupation’ a Coordinated, ACORN-Affiliated Attack?
- Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:42am by
Billy Hallowell
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Did an ACORN front group plan and execute last week’s bizarre “Occupation” of a San Francisco Bank of America branch?
As you’ll recall, nearly 100 people were arrested after storming into the bank, chanting slogans and attempting to setup camp indoors. Now, following this incident, some are wondering if an ACORN front group may have been behind the organized chaos.
We already know that the staged protest was organized, in part, by ReFund California, a group that describes itself as, “a state-wide coalition of homeowners, community members, faith leaders and students working to make Wall Street banks pay for destroying jobs and neighborhoods with their greedy, irresponsible and predatory business practices.” This is the same group that also organized a protest at Cal State University last week.
But who is behind ReFund California? Among the coalition’s “partners,” which includes unions and like-minded groups, is the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE). This group, which is likely unknown to most, was covered in-depth in JudicialWatch’s “The Re-branding of ACORN,” a report that focuses upon covert, ACORN front-groups. Here’s what the report had to say about ACCE:
ACORN CA has become the Alliance of Californians for Community
Empowerment (ACCE), incorporated on December 8, 2010. ACCE maintains seven offices in California. According to Secretary of State records, the registered agent of ACCE is Amy Schur, who is also the organization’s executive director.Schur was formerly the lead organizer for ACORN CA and was a member of ACORN’s management council. She reportedly knew of the embezzlement of ACORN funds by Dan Rathke, but chose to inform neither the ACORN board of directors nor law enforcement about the crime.
Lead organizer in the San Diego office is David Lagstein, former lead organizer for ACORN in Michigan. ACCE board member Edgar Hilbert was also formerly with ACORN CA member. ACCE took over the office space previously occupied by ACORN CA at 3655 So. Grand Avenue, Suite 250, Los Angeles, CA 90007.
Interestingly, in January 2011, Schur put out a press release highlighting ACCE’s creation, defending ACORN and announcing that the new-found group would continue the important work of organizing in California. The release reads:
It has been a difficult and emotional time. We, the California leadership, staff and members who have been working with ACORN, believe that ACORN, both locally and nationally, has been a tremendous force advancing the interests of low-income and working families in this country. At the same time, very real internal mistakes have been made and vicious politically motivated attacks have led to right-wing activists digging through our trash and editing undercover videos to tell a lie so malicious that, if it were true, would upset any citizen. [...]
Nevertheless, those of us who have been working with ACORN in California believe that we can’t wait any longer to be in full control over our destiny. The leadership and staff that were working with ACORN in California made the decision to break off from ACORN and launch a new organization here in California called Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE).
Needless to say, it’s clear that the organization has deep ties to ACORN. And when it comes to ReFund, while the coalition looks like a separate entity, it’s contact information goes back to ACCE (clearly, ReFund is a project of the ACCE — or, at the least, a project the ACCE has a major stake in).
Now, this brings us back to last week’s Bank of America incident. Writer and filmmaker Lee Stranahan was at the event, where he captured some very interesting footage. Throughout the clip he posted on YouTube, individuals wearing what appear to be yellow ACCE shirts look like they’re leading and guiding the protesters inside of the bank branch.
In the beginning of the video, a woman in a yellow shirt appears to be leading the group. Around the 1:00 mark, you’ll notice a man in a yellow shirt waving protesters inside the Bank of America branch. Just seconds later, the man in the yellow shirt also slips inside of the bank. The crowd, of course, is chanting, “We are the 99 percent!”
Watch the video, below:
Around 3:15, the woman was purportedly leading the group in the beginning of the clip can also be seen inside of the bank. At 4:28, you’ll notice a man wearing what is very clearly an ACCE shirt, with the shirt’s design appearing in clear view. Here’s a screen shot:
Considering the ACCE’s “make banks pay” mentality, it makes sense that the group would be behind these actions. But considering that someone from the protest allegedly urinated inside the bank and with the knowledge that private property was so vehemently violated, one wonders how a legitimate organization could condone such actions.
At the least, the public deserves to know that there may have been nothing “organic” about this protest. Additionally, considering the allegations that were previously waged against ACORN, any and all of its offshoot groups — including ACCE — deserve elevated scrutiny.
This report follows two additional pieces the Blaze has written about ACORN’s reformation (one about an Orlando group and another about a New York City-based organization). All three reports show that the ACORN affiliates are heavily supportive of the Occupy movement.
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Comments (107)
rationallyurs
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:47amnothing but hoodrats on parade–just waiting for a basketball game to break out
Report Post »pollyanna
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 6:07pmWharf Rats…
Report Post »VoteBushIn12
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 6:58pmI can think of a lot of lies so malicious that, if they were true, would upset every American… Doesn’t make them meaningful at all.
Blaze = not news.
Report Post »66jagman
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 9:57pmThe same rat bas—ds that intimidated bank officers at their homes insisting they make loans to individuals who COULDNOT AFFORD THEM which led to the subprime loan mess which led this country into the recession we are still in. And Obama backs these people.
Report Post »The TEA party has done nothing like this yet we are labeled as dangerous and racist!
Same kind of tactics used by Lenin, Stalin, and Trotsky(remember what happened to him) to form the Soviet Union and Hitler to get his opponents out of the way.
How anybody calling themselves “independant” cann’t see the obvious is beyond me.
annelouisegelinas
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 4:17pmboo hoo for Acorn they are coming back with a vengeance and this is their way of making everyone pay for their embarrassment as a mortgage backer. the ugly head of the viper has risen.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:47am“new-found group would continue the important work of organizing in California.”
They are not organizing people somewhere is a distant place.
They are ORGANIZING us. We don’t want to be serfs.
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:58am“new-found group would continue the important work of organizing in California.”
The question was, is this ACORN?
We already crushed ACORN and had all Federal funding revoked, and the organization disbanded with it’s leaders hounded by the Blaze and Fox.
Therefore the answer is, No, it’s some other group that needs to be looked at in the light of day. Using ACORN is lazy and uses the boogie man ethics of cowards.
TEA
1chancey1
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 12:16pmMonicne (Encinom) your little charade is getting stale. You are a Troll and don’t have a clue what the Tea Party is about. Please stop representing something you are not.
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 12:37pmMONACNE…is ignorance something you like about yourself?
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 12:49pmThe coming election next year is going to get down and dirty. Acorn, the unions, fleabaggers, and every other thuggish group supporting Obama are going to be out in droves.
Report Post »They know that in order to reach their ultimate goal, the downfall of America, can only be attained by re-electing Obama. Bring it.
AvengerK
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 1:11pmKICKINBACK..I agree…it’s going to be one of the dirtest campaigns on record. Obama’s lefty footsoldiers are desperate to keep him in office, they will do anything to try to keep him there.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 1:43pmMONICNE
Same staff, same address, same tactics. Name change not withstanding this is the same organization.
Report Post »MONICNE lies another day. No surprise there.
sgtstubbs
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 6:01pmVery old Commie trick, is to join other groups and slowly take over the name. Next they import the people from the first group, and they then have full control……Sort of like having a Mafia send several young guys with not record of arrest into the Sheriff’s dept and the city PD and get them promoted into post of information….Take my word this has happened alot in South Fla.
Report Post »PastorRob83
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 8:39pmI have several thoughts about all these developments and none of these thoughts are good. Besides ministry, I have “good conservative” political credentials and was in politics in several communities and as the Republican candidate for our State Legislature.
Watching the recent developments and the many comments on and offline that are so hateful and judgmental, often lacking compassion that I am reassessing my stand.
Conservatives and neo-conservatives for the most part created this mess by encouraging and often directly supporting policies which may have helped some corporations and wealthy investors (for a time) but has shrunk the “middle class” and has hurt many, many previously hard-working individuals.
I didn’t believe it when an ultra-leftest (in my opinion) colleague, who teaches poly-sci, told me that the growing divide between rich and poor and policies that hurt those in the lower socio-economic scale would lead to development of a “new left” in response to the “Tea Party” and other conservative movements. The backlash, he said, would come is partially here.
Report Post »If Steve is correct, we might soon face class warfare right here in this country. I pray he‘s wrong and I’m sure government would “put it down” eventually, but I do see evidence of the principle, “You reap what you sow.” We conservatives created many of the inequities by our policies and positions (I’m guilty too) which encouraged the growth and popularity of the Occupy Movem
NYHuguenot
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:06pmIs that better than being a “Useless Idiot”?
Report Post »conservative cyclingfan1
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:25amJust open them, and maybe you’ll find some OWSers.
Report Post »tbeachhead
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:17amI need to clean my screen…For a moment it looked like you called ACCE a “legitimate organization.”
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:17amACORN is especially known for doing this to banks. Obama taught a class on community organizing on how to do this. Chicago ACORN started this when they accused banks for not giving loans to black people. ACORN and the unions are ALL behind this OWS movement. Of course Obama and Soros is connected, if it is ACORN or any union.
Report Post »Bum thrower
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:35amYhis IS ‘Community Organizing”. Heaven knows what they expect to accomplish; Pretty soon folks that work for a linvin are gonna get fed up…………..un elect EVERY DEMOCRAT IN EVERY OFFICE IN THE COUNTY…………
Report Post »db321
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 5:46pmWhat you think these Useful Idiots just woke up one day and decided to go Occupy – Acorn, the Unions, Andy Stern, Seith Sunstein, Van Jones, the Tides Foundation, George Soros and all the other progressives associated with Obama’s Administration.
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:15amThere is no ACORN!
We the people succeeded in eliminating ACORN 2 years ago!
Is someone trying to stir up an already empty pot? What ever happened to “winning gracefully?”
TEA
jessieH
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:28amAcorn just changed their name & location.
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:37amMONICNE
Report Post »Pulled pork on wheat bread would help you.
GetRealThinker
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:39amWho ever thinks ACORN died, you need to look into this more! I do not even think they got financially cut-off from the gov’t tit! Kinda like another Planned Parenthood!
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:54amAll those ACORN employees just quit or where fired & they all fired honest jobs in manufacturing, retail or farming.
Do you always lie shamelessly?
Also you have gone from a natural brunette to a natural blonde. I’d say you 20 something Joe living in their parents basement clipping pictures of women to post alongside your name.
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 1:12pmYes that’s right MONACNE…watch the other hand right?
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 1:20pmYou keep telling yourself that Monicne. I have been to the ACORN International and believe me they are still operating here in the U.S. You forget Liberals are good at calling things by other names, but it is the same ole players. They even still have offices in New Orleans. Don’t be ignorant.
You can fool some of the people some of the time, You can fool all the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.
Get a clue you ding bat.
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 3:02pmAcorn did not go away it just changed its name and shifted its personnel around.
Get real, your posts are so irrelivant that they look like they were written by
Fancy Nancys publicity people.
OMG
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:13am**Thank you for taking off the WetheKings” video. It was very annoying not to be able to stop the video and the noise. Please review the videos before posting them to give us users control to stop them. Once again, THANKS!
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:16amAMEN there, that thing is mega annoying when you try to listen to something else and it blows your eardrums out the window.
Report Post »Mtroom
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:02am“A lie so malicious” Ummm…it was true…and yeah I bet it was just right-wing activist digging through your trash..Another double talker that will lie to your face. How is it that people listen to these kind of people..She didn’t report the embezzlement to anyone at all?…She must have gotten a kick back.And I love the “we broke away from Acorn”…Classic. But I have to ask what was the since of shutting down Acorn…They are all still there…Oh, I almost forgot, need to hide in plain site, so just change the name…No on will notice, right?
Report Post »hightide
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:00amHow much longer do we have to put up with these people. That is just so wrong, there is no excuse for allowing them to operate.
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:19am“there is no excuse for allowing them to operate”
Except the United States Constitution.
Dude! Who gets to “allow” organizations to operate? Is there some super committee we do not know about?
Did our local Tea Party brothers and sisters need to get Government permission to protest?
TEA
Walkabout
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:57amMONICNE
Permission to operate. No they need none.
Permission to get federal funding. Yes they need permission from that. It shouldn’t be buried in federal funding by bureaucrats & protected by a few Democrats. It should be a straight up or down vote in the House4 of Representatives. If it is anything else it is not Democracy, but an oligarchy.
Report Post »Unix
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:00amOh yeah, banks were so predatory handing out NINJA loans, because they were mandated by CRA1977 law, and pressured by unions and special interest groups like ACORN. The hypocricy is palpable…now they blame the banks for doing just what they were told to do, and vilified as fat cat…these liberals make me sick.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:57amAgree!
TEA!
Report Post »riverdog1
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 6:27pmas usual you got the CRA wrong again. CRA not the problem, never was. but keep listening to rush, beck and hannity and soon you will preaching the world is flat.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:59amWell thank you for following the people & money. Most of us knew this was orchestrated.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:57amSounds like Bank of America needs to call in the FBI ( doubt that Holder’s DOJ would be much help ). And WHERE do these groups get their funds ? Since they seem aimed at causing civil unrest and economic chaos, they should be viewed in some pretty serious investigations…
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:56amOf course!
Report Post »mawmawsandra
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 2:22amobamas army he wanted. Oh I forgot, he’s had them all along. He just had to keep them on a leash until the time was right.
Report Post »dsind
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:56amOn another note;
Report Post »I just watched Msnbc (sorry i look at it for the stock tickers ONLY, in the am) and B of A just ran
a commercial showing and Asian (Japanese?) business lady touting how b of a was the only bank that would “loan” to her father back when the family business started………..
Basically playing the “we are not racist” card to get customers!
Wow, I’m truly am shocked! lol
cdavis2009
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:55amWhen we were children my siblings and I used to set up tents indoors . . . I think I was eight. Yep.
Report Post »ENTITLEMENTSBLOW
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:54amThe hits just keep on coming! Time to go home, I can smell you from across the Country!
Report Post »tobywil2
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:54amThe “OWS” movement is an integral part of Mr. Obama’s “change you can believe in.” Be afraid, be very afraid! http://commonsense21c.com/
An economic crisis, ending in violent chaos is the prescription for replacing a Republic with a Dictatorship. Since taking office, Mr. Obama’s agenda has been a blueprint for establishing that economic crisis.
That agenda is approaching completion. The economic crisis is almost upon us and the civil unrest to justify a declaration of martial law and suspension of the Constitution has started with the “OCCUPY WALL STREET” campaign. The Tyrant has slightly one year to bring his plan to fruition. The economic conditions resulting from Mr. Obama’s agenda to create the economic crises will certainly prevent reelection.
On February 24, 2011 President Obama informed Congress that he would not enforce the laws that he disagreed with. He continues to create new law with Executive orders. Thus, Mr. Obama declared himself a Dictator? Is this our new form of government? A Dictator does not require the approval of Congress! Dictators don’t resign and dictators don’t allow free elections! The “OCCUPY WALL STREET” is the beginning of the final step to consolidate tyrant’s power!
Report Post »DudeinCA
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:53amEveryone who is surprised by this, raise your hand…..? Didn’t think so.
Report Post »Ballzonya
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:51amWow, I don‘t know what the whacky folks on the right would do if they didn’t have “Acorn” to blame for everything.
Report Post »ENTITLEMENTSBLOW
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:00amI wonder what the fools on the left would do if they didnt blame Bush for everything? Haha, you can tell that isnt working anymore!
Report Post »Ballzonya
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:08amPretty sure that Bush isn’t being blamed…have you been outside lately? It’s much bigger than you might guess.
Report Post »ENTITLEMENTSBLOW
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:20amPretty sure thats how Obama ran his campaign, blaming Bush! Sad thing is, enough idiots like yourself fell for it and voted for him. Congratulations!
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 12:09pmFirst Ballzonya (Balls on you) gay.
Second, all the people that worked at the old nonprofit now work at a new non profit for the same cause using the same tactics & you don’t see a name change? You’re either ignorant (doubt it) or you’re carrying their water. You do know that the commissar killed 20 tom 30 million people in the Soviet Union under Lenin & Stalin. It just wasn‘t all Stalin’s doing. Their optimizing society was so good, so perfect that the soviet Union lost 7 soldiers for every soldier that the Finns lost when the Soviet Union launched a war of aggression against Finland. Their science & technology was equally backward although spying helped catch them up a little, militarily at least. Some how they could never do an Apollo project or bring broad based prosperity to the masses.
I am married to an ex Communist slave: I know
You are so full of it.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:51am**TheBlaze*** Not story related, but could you give us control to turn off the We the Kings video, please? I cannot listen to the GB radio show and surf theBlaze with all that noise going on.
Report Post »stitchak
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:02amI 2nd that!!!
Report Post »mdlwoods
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 12:20pmDittos!!! In fact, the boss-man came in and said that there was too much noise going on in my office cause of that stupid video!!!
Report Post »NSDQ
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:49amBLAZE STOP AUTO PLAYING COMMERCIALS!!! Its VERY ANNOYING
Report Post »your sensei
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:01amYES! YES! Listen to the will of the people! Set aside your cheap crass commercialism.
Joey8
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 1:03pmFirefox—->addblock plus
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 1:29pmThose commercials seem to be location specific as I do not have anything like this at my location.
Report Post »your sensei
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:49amWas it? No.
barber2
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:58amYour opinion tells us much…..
Report Post »ChevalierdeJohnstone
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:49amThis “Next Story” popup is annoying. I don’t want to read the “next story” right now, I want to read this one. GET RID OF THE POPUPS YOU DWEEBS.
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:55amYou seem ungrateful that THE BLAZE was created for us by someone with their time and money and gives us a sounding board . Sounds alittle like the folks at OWS. GROW UP or better yet, create your own site and eliminate what annoys you.
Report Post »ares338
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:49amDoes a wilderness propagated ursine defecate in forrested land?
Report Post »DudeinCA
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:55amA big brown one?
Report Post »DudeinCA
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:56amUrsine, i mean…
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:49amWow tents indoors? What a concept!
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 12:17pmA tent is dangerous. It is a shelter. It can be considered a domicile. It has legal repercussions; It gives them rights. They have to take away your rights to assert their increased rights, but they are more than willing to do it.
If you squat on a property long enough it becomes yours. They have done it in NYC before. They have published the previous incident & are trying to recreate it.
They say they are about justice, but in the end they will tells us that some animals are more equal than other animals. They will of course be the “more equal” animals.
Report Post »