08/14/2007

Associated Press

Five fossil fuel protesters who chained themselves inside a downtown Asheville bank were charged with trespassing and resisting officers, police said.

The protest on Monday closed a Bank of America branch for about two hours. Police Capt. Tim Splain said most of the protesters were orderly.

About 50 protesters — some waving signs and some dressed a polar bears or canaries — had been at a Transylvania County environmental meeting called the Southeast Convergence for Climate Action.

More than a dozen officers were stationed outside the bank and a portion of a downtown street was closed for about 30 minutes during the protest. Protesters moved to a park when police arrived wearing riot gear.

The protesters said the bank invests in a coal company. Bank of America spokeswoman Eloise Hale didn't comment on the protest, but said the bank has a strong environmental commitment.

"We have committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in that portfolio by 7 percent by 2008, and we're on track to meeting that goal," Hale said.

Police also set up a checkpoint at a coal-fired Progress Energy power plant at Lake Julian outside Asheville. Company spokesman Ken Maxwell said there was no disruption at the plant.

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Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times, http://www.citizen-times.com