Police violently arrested five people at a nonviolent direct action at the regional Bank of America headquarters in downtown Asheville. The action was the culmination to the Southeast Convergence for Climate Action. See asheville.indymedia.org/ for press releases and photos.

Despite severe police surveillance and scare tactics at the camp and an unprecedented police presence (an estimated 50 in riot gear) at Bank of America, the action was completely non-violent. Five people were arrested inside the building, two of them locked together, while supporters rallied outside wearing polar bear and canary costumes to represent non-human victims of environmental devastation. One other person was arrested leaving the camp.

We spent $4,000 to bail them out. Several people lent us the money, but we need to get donations to pay them back and to pay future legal fees and, eventually, to fund further direct actions. We need your help! Please contribute whatever you can to help in the fight against mountaintop removal, power plants, carbon trading, climate injustice and cultural displacement.

You can donate money through PayPal. To pay online, click on the link below:

www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr

You can make checks payable to Rising Tide North America, and make sure to write "southeast convergence action" in the memo field. Mail checks to:

Rising Tide North America
PO Box 16851
Asheville, NC 28816

Thank you so much! Every little bit helps!

e-mail: risingtide-AT-mountainrebel.net