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Large check poster 1970 protest poster by an anonymous artist collective known as Metamorphosis. The poster commemorates the burning of the Bank of America branch in Isla Vista, California, a pivotal event during student riots related to the Vietnam War and local student issues.
Event Details
Date of Burning: The original Bank of America building at 953 Embarcadero Del Norte in Isla Vista was burned to the ground on February 25, 1970, during a large-scale student riot.
Context: The riots were the culmination of student activism at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), in response to national and local issues, including the Vietnam War and community relations with police. Bank of America was targeted as a symbol of the establishment and capitalism; the bank was also boycotted by students for providing illegal loans to South Africa, which was enforcing apartheid policies at the time.
Aftermath: The event garnered national media attention and led then-Governor Ronald Reagan to declare a state of emergency and call in the National Guard. In a subsequent riot in April 1970, a student, Kevin Moran, was accidentally shot and killed by police while trying to stop arsonists from burning a temporary bank structure. The site of the original bank is now an arts and lectures hall known as Embarcadero Hall.
Poster Design: The poster uses a mock check with "Bank of America" intentionally misspelled as "Bank of Amerika" and superimposes a photograph of the actual branch in flames with people in the foreground. |
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