“Minnesotans from all walks of life are taking our message directly to banks and corporate America—including Wells Fargo—that we will not allow them to foreclose on the American Dream,” said Donna Cassutt, spokesperson for Minnesotans for a Fair Economy, the organization coordinating the march.

“We are demanding that they repair the economic disaster they helped create and the racial injustices they worsened. We will stand strong and not allow them to impose further cuts on our schools, health care or public services at an Oct. 14 March to Save the American Dream."

Organizers of the week’s community events applauded the upsurge in grassroots energy of the Occupy Wall Street and OccupyMN movement, saying “The convergence of the Occupy movement and other Twin Cities community-based events reflects the fact that people are saying ‘enough’ to Wall Street and taking action to demand that the banks and super-rich pay their fair share and respect our democracy.”

Minnesota Week of Action
Events listed below have been planned by a variety of community groups, all part of the coalition that has endorsed Friday’s “March and Rally to Save the American Dream.”

Monday, Oct. 10, 2 p.m.
Big Banks and the Minneapolis Schools: Study Release
1023 Newton Ave N, Minneapolis (A foreclosed home)
Parents and neighborhood activists from NOC (Neighborhoods Organizing for Change) will gather in front of an abandoned, foreclosed home owned by Wells Fargo bank to release a study “THE IMPACT OF FORECLOSURES ON THE MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS.“ The study, written in partnership with Minnesotans for a Fair Economy, documents the impact of foreclosure on the enrollment and budget of the Minneapolis public schools. NOC activists will discuss their plans to ask the school board to move its banking from Wells Fargo to community banks.

Monday, Oct. 10, 4 p.m.
Vigil for Good Jobs
10th Avenue SE Bridge on the West River Parkway (under the bridge)
As the Senate considers the American Jobs Act, community activists will hold a vigil with the message “Good Jobs Now: Make Millionaires and Wall Street Pay their Fair Share."

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m.
“Super-Duper Committee: People’s vs. Bankers Budget” March
Hennepin County Government Plaza, Minneapolis, Northwest Corner
TakeAction Minnesota will lead a march from Government Plaza to Wells Fargo bank in support of a People’s Budget rather than expected budget cuts recommended by the “Super Committee.” They will ask the public to vote on which budget they support.

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 5 p.m.
Minneapolis School Board meeting
Minneapolis Public Schools District Office, 807 Broadway, Minneapolis
Parents and community activists will ask the Minneapolis School Board to move its banking away from Wells Fargo and into community banks. Parents will rally outside the school board meeting at 5 p.m. and then testify at the board meeting beginning at 5:30.

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 7 p.m.
ISAIAH/St. Paul City Council Housing Crisis Forum
St. James AME Church, 624 Central Avenue West, St. Paul
ISAIAH and a coalition of St. Paul neighborhood groups will hold a 300-person public meeting and release a study on the housing crisis that is sweeping through the city of St. Paul. City Council members will be asked to take meaningful and concrete steps to begin combating the crisis by actively supporting a platform of policy initiatives around mediation, inclusionary zoning policies, and neighborhood stabilization.

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 3 p.m.
Rally to Stop Nursing Home Evictions
Cerenity Care Center, 753 E 7th Street, St. Paul
Caregivers and community supporters will rally at Dellwood Place Care Center, which is one of two Cerenity care centers slated to be shut down in the coming months. The closing will displace residents who have lived in the community for years or decades—in some cases moving them far from family members. The rally will demand that major banks and “the top 1%” pay their fair share of taxes to protect public services like quality care for our disabled and elderly.

Friday, Oct. 14, 3 p.m.
March and Rally to Save the American Dream
Peavey Plaza, 11th St. S. and Nicollet Ave. S. (1111 Nicollet Mall), Minneapolis
Marchers will depart from Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis to tell Wells Fargo and Wall Street “Don’t Foreclose on the American Dream.” Marchers will call on the banks and super-rich to pay their fair share to create jobs and protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security on the day “Super Committee” subcommittee reports are due. At Wells Fargo a marchers will ask for a meeting with Wells Fargo executives to discuss community concerns.

March endorsers include: Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL), ISAIAH, Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG), The Minnesota AFL-CIO, the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation. Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), TakeAction Minnesota, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1189.

A concert will precede the rally beginning at 11 a.m. in Peavey Park. Musicians and spoken word artists include: Toki Wright, Pandora’s Box Cutter, Flo-me, Thee Evil Creatures, Karma the oddest Goddess, Lioness, Rob Weekend, Sean Anonymous, (Wide Eyes), Earth Shake.

Saturday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m.
Schooling the Big Banks
St. Paul location TBA
Concerned parents, citizens and public school staff organized by SEIU Local 284 will set up a mock school classroom urging banks to forgo fees and stop profiting off of the short-term school loans due to education cuts that the banks and Chamber of Commerce pushed for in the first place.

Saturday, Oct. 15, noon
Action to Stop Criminalization of Immigrant Families
Minneapolis Location TBA
Immigration activists will ask major banks to stop contributing to anti-immigrant politicians that tear apart immigrant families and withdraw investments in firms that lobby for and build private prisons targeting immigrant workers.

Sunday, Oct. 16, 1-7 p.m.
Festival for Justice Concert (with rally from 1-2 p.m.)
Corner of Lake Street and 27th Ave., Minneapolis
People from all walks of life will celebrate the struggle for justice. Supporters will pledge funds for CTUL, a workers-rights organization whose Campaign for Justice in Retail Cleaning has drawn attention to cleaning workers who sometimes cannot afford to buy groceries in the stores they clean. Artists include Guante, Brass Kings, Grant Hart, formerly of Husker Du and more.