Wisconsin Protesters Close Pro-Walker Bank

Hundreds gather outside M&I Bank, some withdraw money
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 11, 2011 7:34 AM CST
Wisconsin Protesters Close Pro-Walker Bank
Protestors rally outside the State Capitol following the Wisconsin Assembly's vote on union rights, March 10, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin.   (Getty Images)

A Wisconsin bank branch was forced to close yesterday after hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside to protest its executives' campaign contributions to Scott Walker. A spokesman for M&I Bank said the branch had closed "under the advisement of the Madison Police Department." The president of a union for firefighters said that several protesters closed their accounts, walking away with checks that he said totaled $192,000 in withdrawn funds.

"The concern was if the crowd continued to grow, it would be difficult for us to guarantee access and safety for those trying to get in and out of the bank,” a police spokesman told the Wisconsin State Journal, though he added that police didn't tell M&I to close the bank. (More Wisconsin stories.)

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