SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)--Hundreds of protesters who say they are planning to disrupt Wells  Fargo's annual shareholder meeting Tuesday have begun marching in downtown San  Francisco. 

     

The group of about 300 people began gathering at 10 a.m. at Justin  Herman Plaza and started marching around 11 a.m., heading up Market Street  and turning right on California Street.

     

The shareholders meeting begins at 1 p.m. at the Merchants  Exchange Building at 465 California St. 

     

The march stretched for two blocks, with protesters chanting,  "Wells Fargo, you can't hide, we can see your greedy side!" and "We are the  99 percent" in English and Spanish. 

     

Organizers with Causta Justa, one of the groups participating, say  protesters are calling on the bank to stop "practices that profit from  community losses," such as foreclosures and predatory lending.

     

Bay Area clergy, organized by the faith-based grassroots  organization San Francisco Organizing Project, held an interfaith prayer  service at Justin Herman Plaza this morning, calling on Wells Fargo to make  amends for what they claim is wrongdoing by the bank. 

     

The Rev. Gloria del Castillo, of La Iglesia Episcopal del Buen  Samaritano in San Francisco's Mission District, said she is about to lose her  home despite asking Wells Fargo for a loan modification.

     

She called Wells Fargo "unethical" and said the foreclosure crisis  "reflects a deep spiritual crisis in the city."

     

Some protesters were building a stagecoach made to look like the  coach used by Wells Fargo in its advertisements. Others held signs reading,  "Occupy Wells Fargo."

     

Wells Fargo spokesman Ruben Pulido released a statement early this  morning saying the bank is a "responsible corporate citizen" and paid $6  billion in taxes for 2011.

     

"Wells Fargo makes efforts to keep people in their homes," Pulido  said. "Over the past year, less than 2 percent of owner-occupied loans in our  servicing portfolio have resulted in foreclosures."

     

Of the protest, Pulido said Wells Fargo "respects the rights of  Americans to peacefully assemble" and will focus this afternoon on  "protecting the safety of our customers, team members and shareholders."

 

(Copyright 2012, Bay City News. All Rights Reserved.)