Front Line
40 residents have descended on the Commonwealth Bank’s Bourke Street branch today, peacefully occupying the ground floor and holding banners reading “Funding Climate and Reef Destruction – Commbank Can!”
The group are calling upon Commbank to join 11 major international banks in ruling out involvement in the controversial Galilee Basin coal mines and Abbot Point coal port expansion on the Great Barrier Reef. Today’s event is one of over 100 community protests that are taking place at 40 branches across Australia and around the world in opposition to the Galilee projects.
The Commonwealth Bank is the only Australian bank that has been publicly named as advising on the projects and likely to finance the Carmichael mega mine – the largest in the Galilee Basin.
“The Commonwealth Bank says it is the “People’s Bank” yet the people are calling on them to say NO to carbon bombs like the Galilee. We’ve emailed, petitioned, had meetings and moved our money, yet Commbank still says silent.”
“Unless they heed our call and say no to coal mine and port expansions on the Reef, they face a creative and unrelenting community campaign… and should be ready for nationwide protests” said Nicola Paris, from Direct Action Melbourne.
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Charlie Wood
