National Conference of the Coalition to Protest at the DNC issues call: March on Wall Street South, Sept. 2!

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From September 1-6, 2012, poor and working people from across the world will march on the Wall Street of the South in Charlotte, North Carolina.  

Participants at the April 14 National Organizing Conference

The Coalition to Protest at the Democratic National Convention held its national organizing conference April 14 in Charlotte to discuss action plans. Activists from throughout North Carolina, from  Atlanta, South Carolina, Ohio, Detroit, Florida, Colorado, Minnesota, New York City, Philadelphia, and Wisconsin, discussed and adopted action plans for Sept. 1-6.

The coalition represents more than 60 organizations from across the country including organized labor, peace groups, students and youth, immigrants rights, Occupy groups, and more.

Reports and updates were heard from members of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, Committee to Stop FBI Repression; Coalition to March on the RNC; the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) - AFL-CIO, the Moratorium Now! Coalition; North Carolina Coalition Against Corporate Power; Occupy 4 Jobs, Occupy groups throughout North Carolina and other states and the Wisconsin Bail Out The People Movement.

Plans for actions take shape

The conference resolved to call for a major mass demonstration, March on Wall Street South, set for Sunday, September 2. Charlotte, NC is second only to NYC in the amount of finance capital concentrated in the city. It is home to the world headquarters of Bank of America and the eastern headquarters of Wells Fargo, two of the most notorious and hated among the big banks for the attacks they are driving on our communities, from home foreclosures, to student loan debt, funding the prison industrial complex, and more. 

Other actions discussed and adopted thus far for the week of Sept 1-6 include a Southern Worker’s Assembly; a People's Tribunal on the Banks; supporting Charlotte’s Labor Day march; and a Youth/Student ‘Education Not Deportation’ Festival. There will also be Occupy events and actions taking place throughout the week.

Organizers demand right to protest, fight for permits

Larry Holmes, Occupy 4 Jobs, at press conference April 13 outside Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte

The city of Charlotte still has not granted any permits despite the Coalition’s efforts to secure permits for the past seven months. If the city does not grant them, the coalition will be launching a major campaign to demand the city issue permits. 

The coalition held a press conference at the Bank of America Stadium April 13 in Charlotte with leaders from organizations across the U.S. to announce their plans to march during the DNC and to again demand permits. Said Elena Everett, co-chair of the Legal and Permits working group of the coalition: “The rights of the people to present their demands for economic, social and political justice to the delegates of a major electoral party must not be curtailed by excessive delay tactics.”

“We won’t tolerate any effort to stop us from exercising our constitutional rights to protest,” said Larry Holmes, with Occupy 4 Jobs in New York on April 13. “If they have to arrest 10,000 of us, if we have to fill the jails, … we will be here.”

Reports from RNC organizing, Bank of America shareholder's meeting protest

A delegation from the Coalition to March on the RNC traveled from Florida to attend the conference and report on their organizing for protests during the RNC in Tampa from August 27-30.  They are also fighting the city of Tampa for permits to march on the opening day of the convention. The two coalitions are working closely together and building solidarity for demonstrations at the conventions of the two pro-war, pro-Wall Street parties.

An organizer with the NC Coalition Against Corporate Power also gave an update on the upcoming major demonstration at Bank of America's shareholder's meeting on May 9 in Charlotte.
 

Make a donation to help build the March on Wall St South

In September 2012, thousands of peace, justice, labor, immigrant, and Occupy activists will gather in Charlotte, NC, the site of the Democratic National Convention, to raise a host of people's issues. 

Please consider making a contribution to help us secure permits and build a mass march on the Wall St of the South, as well as many other activities.

See you in the streets of Charlotte in September! 

For more information on the Coalition to Protest at the DNC and if you are planning on participating:

Twitter: @ProtestDNC
Facebook: Coalition to Protest at the DNC
Web: protestdnc.org
Email: info@protestdnc.org
Donate here
Phone: 704-266-0362