The Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, in conjunction with A New Way Forward, campaigned against the recent bank bailout at a protest held at Capital Square Saturday.
The groups joined in a nationwide campaign organized by A New Way Forward, a national campaign that advocates re-organization and nationalization of major banks, to ""Break Up the Banks.""
The Madison rally was one of about 75 simultaneous demonstrations across the country, according to A New Way Forward's website.
According to Tiffany Cheng, a national organizer for A New Way Forward, their campaign against the banks is about national unity.
""We put a call to unify all of the different reactions across the country, and we're pushing for a platform that all of us can get behind. We're asking for a nationalized, reorganized, decentralized exit plan for the economic crisis, and it's the most sound policy that has the public interest in mind,"" Cheng said.
After a short speech, Steve Burns, program coordinator for the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, led supporters across the street to the Chase Bank branch at 22 E. Mifflin St. Burns said they chose to protest Chase Bank for a reason.
""Chase is a good target because their CEO has said publicly that he's using the federal bailout money to buy more banks and get bigger. We think really the problem is that the banks are too big to begin with,"" Burns said.
Jan Van Tol, a UW-Madison senior, attended the protest. He said he thinks students should be mindful of this issue because of the current economic climate.
""We're going to graduate and we have to go into this economy to find jobs,"" Van Tol said.
Chase Bank declined to comment on the rally.
