The wintry wind whipping up the tents at Zuccotti Park Friday evening only hinted at what protesters have planned next: They want to freeze out some big banks by getting customers to withdraw their money.
"We're not against banks, we're just against the big banks and the way they've taken advantage of the American people -- especially the foreclosure crisis," said Max Berger, an Occupy Wall Street spokesman.
Protesters say there are already 75,000 people who are committed to move their money from corporate banks to credit unions or independent banks.
But in a statement on its Facebook page, the organizers of the so-called Bank Transfer Day hastened to differentiate themselves from Occupy Wall Street protesters. "While the Bank Transfer Day movement acknowledges the enthusiasm from Anonymous and Occupy Wall Street, the Bank Transfer Day movement was neither inspired by, derived from nor organized by Anonymous or the Occupy Wall Street movement, and the Bank Transfer Day movement does not endorse any activities conducted by Anonymous or Occupy Wall Street," it said.
Bank Transfer Day is meant to "ensure that these banking institutions will always remember the 5th of November," by showing that "conscious consumers won't support companies with unethical business practices," the group said.
Whoever the organizer, many New Yorkers outside one Upper East Side Citibank told NBC New York they weren't about to participate.
"My bank's been reliable for me so I'm sticking with what I've got," said Amanda Greeley of the Upper East Side.
"I like my money in a bank," said Ruth Weisgal, also of the Upper East Side. "It's safe there, the little bit that I have."
And not even everyone in the Occupy Wall Street movement is on the same page.
"I really don't know enough about credit unions to know that they're better," said one protester who only gave his name as Simon. "I'm not very pleased with my bank and the fees, and certainly what they're doing, so I am interested in alternatives."
