"Tax Wall Street" Thousands Demand at U.S. Treasury

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Thousands of activists rallied outside the U.S. Treasury yesterday to demand a tax on Wall Street. Chanting “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out!” the demonstrators, led by the National Nurses United (NNU) and joined by the AFL-CIO, unions and community activists, including participants from the Occupy Wall Street movement, rallied in Lafayette Park and then marched on the Treasury Department to press President Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for a meaningful financial transaction tax (FTT) -- also known as the “Robin Hood” tax -- to “help heal the U.S. and join the growing global movement for an FTT.” Well over two thousand turned out for the noontime rally and march, a rainbow of union shirts, banners and signs contributing to the exuberant display of colorful fall foliage in Lafayette Park. “This is a populist moment!” said consumer activist Ralph Nader. “If you think the American Autumn was something, wait until you see the American Spring!” Yesterday’s march  in DC was part of a global action as nurses from four continents were on hand at the opening of the G-20 summit of world leaders in France to demonstrate how to “inject an FTT” to resuscitate the ailing global economy. In DC, ATU President Larry Hanley credited the nurses – who rallied for an FTT on Wall Street last June -- with “inspiring a movement that’s spread around the world.” NNU Co-President Karen Higgins told the crowd that “It’s bad out there, just ask a nurse: our communities are crumbling around us, and it’s the wealthy 1% that’s making us sick.” Metro Council President Jos Williams led the most popular and persistent chant of the day, “Tax Wall Street, Heal Main Street!” noting that “It’s only fair to tax Wall Street to get us out of the mess they got us into in the first place.” - report and photos by Chris Garlock