Chanting "We got sold out -- you got bailed out!" or "Dont't foreclose on the American dream!" and "The whole world is watching!," protesters marched San Francisco,
New York, Austin, Texas, Washington, D.C., Boston, Milwaukee and Chicago, 'Occupy" proteste have dumped their frustration at the doorsteps of banking behemoths like Bank of America, Citibank and Chase.

"We're sick of the one percent of the population who owns 50 percent of the wealth in the country," said one male twentysomething Boston protester. "And they're using that wealth to basically circumvent the democratic system by buying politicians. "

Yet, as New York Times columnist Paul Krugman pointed out today, the cognitive dissonance of the nation's bankers was evident in an earlier Times' piece that explored what bankers were saying both on and off the record about Occupy Wall Street.

“It’s not a middle-class uprising,” one anonymous banker told the paper. "It's fringe groups. It’s people who have the time to do this.”

The article quoted another money manager saying: "“Financial services are one of the last things we do in this country and do it well. Let’s embrace it. If you want to keep having jobs outsourced, keep attacking financial services. This is just disgruntled people.”

The showdown builds to November 5 which has been designated "Bank Transfer Day" . Initiated by 27-Kristen Chriatian, supporters of OWS are urging Americans to close their accounts at commercial banks and reopen them at credit unions and small community banks. Nearly 300,000 people have indicated they will participate in "Bank Transfer Day" at the movement's Facebook page. Some community activists think hitting back financially at banks is the only way to ensure accountability.

"We believe that only the movement of money will finally convince the banks to act more responsibly" write community activists the Rev. Patrick O'Connor and Mike Gecan in today's New York Daily News. "Last year, Massachusetts withdrew more than $240 million last year from Bank of America because of dissatisfaction with BofA's practices. When billions start leaving, when the cops and food vendors and office workers, the unions and religious groups move their money, banks will suddenly rediscover traditional values and accountable ways of operating that served them -- and the rest of us -- well."

Elizabeth C. supports the mission of Occupy Wall Street. Photo credit: Alex Schaefer.