Occupy Silences Dimon, Arrested While He Walks

J.P. Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon testified in front of Congress last week after his bank last billions in a single trade. Five members of Occupy Our Homes attempted to silence Dimon during the hearing, demanding that he face the homeowners his bank is foreclosing on.

Deborah Harris, a former paramedic and now disabled, lost her home to Dimon’s bank. She used a microphone to call him out but was quickly grabbed by security. Four other people chanted in support but were also escorted out of the hearing.

“I told him to face up to the little people, like me, who had saved up for years only to have their homes taken by giants,” said Harris in a statement. “When they slapped the handcuffs on me, I felt very proud that I was a voice who stood-up.”

Chase and other big banks have foreclosed on hundreds of thousands of people after receiving billions of dollars in bailout money from the federal government. This forced Dave Johnson to wonder:

If debt is bad, why is giving free money to banks so they will lend (put you in debt) better than giving free money to people to pay off debts?

“I found it shocking that Jamie Dimon, a billionaire who is responsible for taking thousands of people’s homes, can go before a congressional committee, just apologize, and walk away,” said Micah Bales, an organizer with Occupy Our Homes-DC. “While those of us who are standing for those that lost their homes are hand-cuffed and thrown in jail.”

You can video of the disruption here (about four minutes in).

In California, ACCE is fighting for a Homeowner Bill of Rights. The proposed legislation would allow homeowners to defend their homes in court if banks break the law. This seems common sense enough and sad that a community organization must fight for this on the state level.

Sadly, we do. The Dimon’s of the world hem and haw in front of Congress and walk away freely. They manage the money and disperse it where it benefits them the most. Guess where that is?