Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)

Action against BBVA during their AGM

On 11 March 2011, the Platform against the BBVA bank of Bilbao held a gathering and a protest outside the BBVA shareholders’ meeting held in the Palacio Euskalduna in Bilbao. Both were very successful. Participation in the protest was high and the action was carried out at the entrance of the thieves’ cave (as it has been labelled by many during the protests) without any incidents.

Denunciation in the board of shareholders of BBVA

Today on Friday March 12th, whilst a protest took place on the other side of Palacio Euskalduna where the board meeting of shareholders the BBVA bank had begun, eight activists disguised as BBVA shareholders were able to fool the police cordon and throw red paint over themselves. As stated by one of them, the red paint represented the blood, which resulted from the investments made in the production and exportation of arms, the basic rights instilled/ inculcated of many people by destructive projects financed by the bank, which also finances the environmental destruction of climate change, and the economies of many countries which affects the well being of its citizens.

On 13 March 2009 in Bilbao in the Basque Country a series of actions took place to denounce the connections between the BBVA bank and the arms industry., during the company's Annual Shareholders Meeting.

BBVA

Editorial

The financial institutions that invest in weapons producers are major players in the arms trade. Not only do financial institutions directly benefit from the arms trade, but they also reduce the risks that companies take in their deals. Furthermore, because banks and pension funds are "looking after" money from the civilian population, they can be subject to pressure.

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The Basque antimilitarist groups KEM-MOC and Kakitzat protested on 23 January in front of the head office of the bank, BBVA, declaring that "BBVA finances war, Gastu Militarrik ez".  Several anti-militarists dived into BBVA's fountain.

BBVA collaborates and profits from war through its participation in the military industry, as shareholders of companies that are providers

to the defence sector.

What is war tax resistance?

It is the decision to resist the State in war spending and the maintenance of the military structure, the army and other armed groups by actively disobeying to pay income taxes.

Following the success of the campaign “My Money Clear Conscience” against banks investing in arms producers in Belgium, the Catalan organisation, member of the European Network Against Arms Trade (ENAAT), Centre De las d'Estudis per la Pau and other organisations have launched a new campaign against Spanish financial institutions and with a special focus on the financial corporation BBVA.

In their campaign manifesto they state: “The numbers of arms conflicts, the unjust wars against Afghan