DNC protester Occupy Charlotte Wall Street Marshall Frazier Park - wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina |

Protesters arrive in Charlotte ahead of the DNC

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CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) -

About a dozen Occupy Charlotte protestors arrived in uptown early Saturday morning. They're camping out at Marshall Park, ahead of the Democratic National Convention.

Hundreds are expected to show up in eleven buses later in the day. Thousands are expected to protest in Frazier Park on Sunday.

Those protesters and others have a message for the city and convention organizers: "Regardless of any attempts to vilify protesters, regardless of any attempts to scare us away, we will be undeterred. We will show up en mass to raise the people's agenda," says Michael Zytkow of the Coalition to March on Wall Street South.

About 90 organizations are expected to be a part of the rally and march that starts at 11am Sunday. Organizers say they're expecting thousands of people. They admit - some of the activists who have had confrontations with police at other conventions and marches may show up. 

Ayende Alcala of Occupy Charlotte told WBTV, "We plan on coming in a way of peace and respect so we ask them to respect that for us".

Neighbors near Frazier park didn't seem concerned about the massive crowds expected on Sunday.

"I'm excited about it, I think it's a good thing, all of it," said Ellen Lucas, a neighbor.

"I expect to see full riot gear and thinks like that, but I hope the protesters are at least peaceful about it," said Joshua Savage, a neighbor.

March organizers say they're boycotting the city's free speech zone at Caldwell and Stonewall. Instead they have a permit for a rally at Frazier Park and then a 3-mile march along a route they crafted through Uptown... including stopping at Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Duke Energy.

Demonstrators are taking on issues like unemployment, healthcare, housing, college loans, and immigration.

Protesters say they don't intend to fight with thousands of police who will be in the city. "I don't want viewers at home to be scared in any way. We've done this before, we fully intend to be peaceful, nonviolent and raise our voice, " says Zytkow.

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