<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#ff0000">Photos available
soon at <<a href="http://www.fossilfoolsday.org">www.fossilfoolsday.org</a>></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><font size="4"><b>Activists Blockade Bank
of America to Protest Funding of Coal</b></font></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000000"><b>Boston, MA</b>
– Copley Square, April 1, 2008. April Fools! As of 9:00AM, in
conjunction with a downtown rally, four activists have locked
themselves to the front entrance of the Bank of America branch in
Copley Square. They are protesting the bank's funding of coal and
energy companies who are among the worst contributors to climate
change, and directly responsible for innumerable human rights abuses
in communities where coal is extracted and burned. </font>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000000">The April Fools
prank took place as part of the Fossil Fools Day of Action, in
coordination with over 100 rallies, protests, and acts of civil
disobedience around the world. These actions are intended to
challenge and disrupt the fossil fuels industry, which scientists say
is primarily responsible for global warming.</font></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000000">Bank of America
has lent over $144 billion to companies like Massey Energy, Arch
Coal, and Peabody Energy, who are infamous for their human rights
violations, strip mining, and mountaintop removal coal mining. The
demonstrators are demanding that Bank of America stop providing
funding for coal companies engaged in all forms of surface mining and
cancel all loans to new fossil fuel burning power plants. </font>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000000">"Without the
financial support of large banks like Bank of America, the fossil
fuels industry could not continue destroying the earth and our
communities," said Elise Ansel, who locked her arms to other
activists in order to prevent the bank from doing business as usual. </font>
</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000000">Coal-burning
power plants are responsible for 40% of U.S. greenhouse gases that
cause global warming, and are a leading cause of asthma and lung
cancer, causing over 24,000 premature deaths a year. "It's not
just an environmental issue. The people who are most affected by the
coal industry are already disadvantaged by this economic system,"
said Laila Murad of Brighton, who also locked down to the bank, "Coal
plants are often built in low-income neighborhoods and communities of
color, and the coal is most often mined in poor areas and on
indigenous land. Coal mining is just another chapter in a long and
bloody story of colonialism and injustice."</font> <br><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The Fossil Fools Day of Action was
called for by Rising Tide North America, Rainforest Action Network,
and the Energy Action Coalition. More information on the actions
taking place around the world is available at
<<a href="http://www.fossilfoolsday.org">www.fossilfoolsday.org</a>>.</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Boston Fossil Fools Day Media Contact:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Colleen Cronin</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">781-308-2458 /
<font color="#0000ff"><u><a href="mailto:bostonfossilfools@gmail.com">bostonfossilfools@gmail.com</a></u></font></p>
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</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000000">National Fossil
Fools Day Media Contact:</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000000">Monica Vaughan,
Rising Tide North America</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000000">541-521-1832 /
</font><font color="#0000ff"><u><a href="mailto:fossilfools@risingtidenorthamerica.org">fossilfools@risingtidenorthamerica.org</a></u></font></p>
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