Fifteen members of the roughly 70,000-member, $1.6 billionTechnology Credit Union rallied for two hours Wednesday outsidethe credit union's San Jose, Calif., headquarters to show theiropposition to the credit union's proposed conversion to a mutualbank.

Rally organizers said the 11 a.m.-1 p.m. event was peaceful anddescribed the credit union as “accommodating,” allowing them toprotest outside the front of the credit union, provided they didnot block entry or exit, and even sending a credit union employeeout with bottled water during the event.

“That was nice to see, especially since while we disagree overthis proposal, it's still our credit union, you know” said Carlos Rodriguez, an organizer of the conversionopposition.

Rodriguez said the protesting members were a little curiousabout two men who drove up to the front of the credit union duringthe protest and parked there for a while. Neither man got out ofthe car, Rodriguez said, but the man in the passenger side tookpictures of the protestors before the car drove away.

“We don't know if this was security or what,” Rodriguezsaid, adding that members found the men's behavior odd and perhapsa little sinister.

“We're all credit union members,” he said.

Rodriguez said other organizations which also opposed theTechnology Credit Union charter change proposal had offered to sendpeople to support the effort, but that the members group opposed tothe charter change had declined.

“This is about our credit union and we felt it best if onlycredit union members were here,” he said.

Credit union members will vote on the conversion beginning thisweek. A special meeting of the members has been called for Sept. 12where members also can vote in person.