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Reverend Billy Arrested For UBS "Angels" Protest
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 27, 2010
Modified Nov 27, 2010
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Savitri Durkee
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 27, 2010
Modified Nov 27, 2010
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Our favorite anti-consumerism performance artist, Reverend Billy Talen of The Church of Life After Shopping, was arrested yesterday after protesting (and singing) in the lobby of UBS during Black Friday. Ahh Reverend Billy: at this point, we'd be disappointed if one of your events didn't end with a picture of you in handcuffs.
Reverend Billy and his "swarm of angels," members of The Church of Life After Shopping Gospel Choir, celebrated his annual Buy Nothing Day by imploring people not to shop outside Macy's early Friday morning. Later in the day, they swarmed the UBS bank building dressed in white robes as a protest against the bank's financing of the coal extraction process known as Mountain Top Removal (MTR), which they have been campaigning to stop since last summer. Reverend Billy was arrested for trespassing at the scene, and is being held at Central Booking. We hope his finely-combed pompadour is no worse for wear after his latest visit to the Tombs.
Tagged
anti-consumerism
bank
black friday
buy nothing
reverend billy
the church of life after shopping
ubs
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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