From Maine to the Bay Area, elders came out in droves to protest fossil fuel funding. And boy, did we show up. We'll be posting reflections in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here is a round up of our working group efforts and press coverage. Thank you, Third Actors!
While the main action was in New York City, Third Actors across the country took to the streets to protest fossil fuel funding. Keep reading to see actions in North Carolina, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, the Bay Area, Massachusetts, Maine, and Florida.
In cities where there are no Citibanks, activists turned to the other big banks funding fossil fuels. In North Carolina, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, Third Actors chanted outside of Wells Fargo.
Third Act North Carolina
Citizen Times reported on the rally in Ashville, citing the particularly hot conditions that day and the accompanying radical marching band Brass Your Heart, as well as the songs, chants, and marches.
“What are we leaving for my grandchildren?” organizer Cheryl Orengo, 71, asked. With one grandchild only six-years-old and the other a toddler, “What are they going to be dealing with? I can’t even think about it because it worries me so much.”‘
Third Act Minnesota
On their blog, “Bringing the HEAT to Wells Fargo,” Third Act Minnesota writes:
“On July 10, at our largest protest yet, over 50 Third Actors and other allies demonstrated at the Wells Fargo Minneapolis corporate office towers demanding the bank stop financing fossil fuel projects. A few Third Act Wisconsin members even joined us. As we announced our intention to occupy the lobby, Wells Fargo locked down both towers, forcing employees to find alternate ways to enter the building. The bank notified all employees in the building about the protest, so we successfully reached hundreds of them—some who supported our efforts. We greatly expanded the reach of our protest when two witnesses with sizable social media followings posted favorably about the action. We received at least 30,000 views on X (formerly Twitter).”
Not only did Minnesota make a significant impact on social media, the group also made it into the MinnPost. David Mann and Carolyn Ham shared their opinions with the publication, highlighting their motivation for doing this work:
“I have a 26-year-old son who has his own anxiety about where we’re headed,” Mann said. “I didn’t feel like I could keep looking him in the eye if I wasn’t doing something.”
As for motivations of the group’s other members, Ham said they ranged from frustration that writing and calling their politicians never yielded results, to wanting to make up for a lifetime of not doing much organizing at all. But the nearly universal answer among the activists was “it’s my grandkids, it’s for the future of my kids and grandkids,” she said.
Third Act Pennsylvania
Third Act Pennsylvania caught the attention of the PhillyVoice:
“Though it is centered on Wall Street, the movement has spread to cities across the United States in recent days. It’s also, notably, full of elder voices. Many of the protesters on Market Street were affiliated with Third Act, a progressive organization led by Americans over 60, or the like-minded Elders Action Network. Some sat in rocking chairs while singing protest songs and cheering on speakers like City Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke. Several carried signs referencing their grandkids.”
Third Act Massachusetts
Third Actors showed up outside Bank of America in Bedford, MA. The Bedford Times writes: “Many lined up alongside the street holding signs, a few with walkers, some seated in outdoor folding chairs. Among them was Peggy McKibben of Carleton-Willard Village, whose son Bill McKibben, a writer and environmental activist, founded Third Act.”
Third Act Maine
In Maine, activists changed outside MainePERS, the Maine Public Employee Retirement System, during a board meeting. According to a law passed in 2021, MainePERS is required to divest from fossil fuels by 2026. However, the organization has been slow to act and insists that divestment will impact returns for its pensioners.
From Maine Public:
Charles Spanger, with Third Act Maine, pointed to a recent analysis showing that a fossil fuel-free portfolio would have outperformed MainePERS over the past decade.
“They will do better if they purchase fossil free portfolios,” Spanger said.
Read more in the Maine Morning Star, WABI Channel 5, and Third Act Maine’s blog.
Third Act Bay Area
In San Francisco’s Embarcadero, hundreds marched to two Citibank locations. They carried their rocking chairs, chanted, petitioned, wrote postcards, and spoke their truth for future generations to come.
From the SF Bay Area blog:
Artist David Solnit was on hand to draw the mural, activists jumped in to paint. His work was also evident on clothing panels, banners and posters. Chants and songs filled the air, accompanied by five amazing Golden Bell Music musicians. Aside from the fun, the message to Citibank never wavered: Stop profiteering from our children’s future.
Check out Mike Freeman’s interviews with Third Actors below:
Third Act Florida
Meanwhile, in Gainesville, Florida, volunteers gathered at a speaker’s panel and social. In solidarity with their fellow activists protesting outside Wall Street, Florida took a different approach in support of Summer of Heat. Read more about it on the Third Act Florida blog.
You can read all about working group efforts on their blogs. We’ll continue to update this page, covering the rest of our volunteer actions. Onward!
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