CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hurricane Isaac put a stop to any planned protests at this year’s Republican National Convention last week in Tampa, Florida, but activists may have better luck this week, when Democrats gather for their nominating convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Law enforcement and officials in North Carolina say they are prepared if several thousands protesters show up as activists hope, starting with the first major demonstrations of the week on Sunday. “We’ll be ready,” Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx told Reuters.
The 80-plus groups that make up the Coalition to March on Wall Street South plan to hold a 3-mile (5-km) march on Sunday aimed at putting a spotlight on Charlotte as the United States’ second-largest financial center, behind New York.
Activists plan to stop in front of the headquarters of Bank of America and Duke Energy and the main Eastern hub for Wells Fargo to speak out against what they see as a range of injustices, including foreclosures and high student loan debt.
Organizers expect several thousand people to participate, including some coalition members who were involved in much smaller protests last week in Tampa, during the convention where Republicans nominated Mitt Romney for president.
The protest organizers are seeking to distinguish their efforts from those of the anarchist movement, which in recent years has destroyed property and tried to disrupt activities at major political and government events.
The FBI warned of possible action by anarchists in Tampa last week, but the protests there were small, peaceful and overwhelmed by the thousands of security officers there.