A small group of activists performed a hilarious street theatre piece in front of a large Bank of America branch on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue Friday evening, September 31, 2007. The costumed activists represented a gloating "King Coal," who gleefully thanked patrons walking in and out of the branch for their money, and several other coal-smeared opponents, who stood for the land and people of Appalachia.

The activists handed out flyers to passers-by that allege that Bank of America provides loans, finds funders and general financial assistance to coal companies like Massey Energy and Arch Coal to specifically continue their destructive mountaintop removal/valley fill coal mining operations througout the Appalachian region. Without such generous capital assistance, starting and maintaining these massive coal extraction sites would be far more difficult.

A man employed near-by, who refused to give his name for fear of losing his job, immediately swore to close his account with Bank of America when he heard the protesters talk of Bank of America's involvement with the destructive mining practice that is helping putting us on the fast track to global warming.

Another passer-by, Derek, from New Jersey, said he had never heard of such lunacy and promised to return to New Jersey later that afternoon, close his account with Bank of America and to start a revolution, in New Jersey.

Bank officials and a couple of NYPD officers stood by watching for the entire protest - about an hour - and were frequently moved to laughter by the ludicrous rantings of MR. King Coal. In response to King Coal's come-ons, his coal-smeared counterparts chanted for Bank of America, Massey, and Arch Coal to leave town...

All in all it was a small but effective and fun event that drew a few more people into the movement to stop mountaintop removal/valley fill coal mining.

Afterwards, the group ambled to the north end of Union Square, where riders for Critical Mass were gathering.