Rev Billy Faces Prison Time for Chase Bank Protest

From Democracy Now! Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Editor’s note: When you’re sitting around your Thanksgiving table tomorrow, counting your blessings, make sure you say a quick “Changellujah!” for Rev Billy and his courage in “menacing” various banks on behalf of our environment and the now-extinct Central American golden toad. Turkey with a side of truth — a dish that should grace every table. Below is the rush transcript; you can watch the video here. — Susan

Reverend Billy and the Golden Toads performing their protest at a Manhattan Chase Bank this summer.
Reverend Billy and the Golden Toads performing their protest at a Manhattan Chase Bank this summer.

For more than a decade, Reverend Billy, along with his Church of Stop Shopping, has preached fiery sermons against recreational consumerism — and more recently, against climate disaster. You can often find them greeting the crush of shoppers at Macy’s in New York City on Black Friday. That may not be the case this year. That is because in September, Rev. Billy was arrested after staging a 15-minute musical protest at a JPMorgan Chase bank in Manhattan to highlight the bank’s environmental record and the extinction of a Central American golden toad. He now faces a year in prison for misdemeanor charges of riot in the second degree, menacing in the third degree, unlawful assembly and two counts of disorderly conduct. Despite this, he and The Stop Shopping Choir are performing in New York City every Sunday through December 22. Rev. Billy is also featured in the film “What Would Jesus Buy?” and in the book of the same name.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: As a Northeast braces for major holiday storm, we turn to a story about a prominent New York performance artist and activist who faces a possible jail sentence for preaching about climate change and the fossil fuel industry. For more than a decade, Bill Talen Reverend Billy has preached fiery sermons against recreational consumerism and more recently, against climate disaster. You can also find Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping greeting the crush of shoppers at Macy’s here in New York on Black Friday. That may not be the case this year. That is because in September, Reverend Billy was arrested after staging a 15 minute musical protest at a JPMorgan chase bank in Manhattan. This is part of a video made a similar protest in June in a JPMorgan Chase bank lobby.

REVEREND BILLY: We are in the midst of a mass extinction at this time. I ask you to think of your own children. I am a father of a three-year-old and I’m worried about the kind of world that my daughter will inherit. Please, protect life, protect the earth. Take your money out of JPMorgan Chase or work inside the bank to change the value system of this bank. It is the largest bank in the United States by assets, but it is also the top bank in the world for financing industrial projects which poisoned the atmosphere with CO2 emissions. Who caused hurricane Sandy? Chase Bank did if anybody did. Rise up against the corporations that are poisoning the atmosphere. It is up to you and to me. Only we can do it. Somebody give me changellujah.

STOP SHOPPING CHOIR: Changellujah!

REVEREND BILLY: Somebody give me an earthellujah.

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