Merrill Lynch, following last week's takeover, was tactically chosen to be our next demonstration. We wanted to make it very clear to the new management that if you deal with HLS you deal with us! Merrill Lynch have about 11,000 shares in HLS itself and have a large number of shares in NYSE Euronext as well. We stayed at this location for about three quarters of an hour.
Almost opposite Merrill Lynch is Axa, the second largest shareholder in NYSE Euronext with approximately half a billion dollars worth of shares! That means a whole lot of influence if they decide to use it. HLS would be history if Axa so much as mentioned it to NYSE Euronext, but they are far too interested in money to even consider making such an ethical step as that. A couple of members of staff actually came to talk to the protest group, insisting that their 7,000 HLS shares had been sold, but we are far more interested in their NYSE Euronext shares. Sell those and the demos stop. In fact, sell those and we'll bake them a nice vegan cake!!!
We ended the demonstrations at Barclays on Fleet Street. This branch absolutely loves the demonstrations outside and we didn't disappoint. As with the other 3 demos, we used megaphones to tell the staff and all around that they're dealing with torture and death with their dealing with HLS. 70,000 animals are in there because of greedy companies like these 3 today. No customers, no suppliers, no shareholders: NO HLS!
Until next time, SHAC (City of) London