UPDATE: 2 Occupy Healdsburg Groups to Protest at New Chase Bank Opening

UPDATE: This story was updated on Friday, Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. to add the participation of the second "Occupy Healdsburg" group.

Two Healdsburg-based "Occupy" groups said they will use branch to protest practices at big Wall Street banks such as JP Morgan Chase, corporate parent of Chase Bank.

Organizer Dave Henderson of Occupy Healdsburg@Wall Street said the demonstration, at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Vineyard Plaza Shopping Center near , will be to "encourage everyone to 'Switch to Local,' since we enjoy plenty of choice here: four county-based institutions, two banks and two credit unions, plus two others based in California." he said.

"Banking locally helps all of us here, instead of siphoning off the money to who-knows-where," he added.

Healdsburg Chase Bank Branch Manager Abdullah Omar referred all comment to Chase marketing spokeswoman Eileen Leveckis. She could not be reached for comment Friday.

"I'd love to be able to answer your questions on a local level," Omar said. "But unfortunately I could not give you a response in this matter."

Occupy organizer Kathryn Cerasoli said the action is not meant to target local Chase staff members, but to send a message to the national bank operations.

“We do support the staff in our local branches,”  Cerasoli said. “It’s just that we must oppose their CEOs and their national policies.

"If most of us switch to local, in fact, the local banks will hopefully have to expand their staffs, so those are opportunities for the local personnel in Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo branches,” she said.

Henderson said the demonstration will include sign-carrying by Occupy members, who will offer the public a detailed handout on all of the Sonoma County-based institutions in Healdsburg, plus advice on how to switch their accounts “back home.”

“It should be obvious by now to everyone but the dead how the big national banks, including JPMorgan Chase, have consistently advanced policies that have done enormous harm to homeowners, veterans, minorities, and even investors," Henderson said.

"They are morally toxic for America," he added. "Healdsburg simply cannot quietly watch another Bad Bank branch opening here."

previously at Healdsburg Plaza on Saturday afternoons. as also incorporated some "Occupy Healdsburg" material into its gatherings.

Spokespeople for Healdsburg branches of Bank of America and Wells Fargo Bank could not be reached for comment Friday.