Sunday, September 2, 2012

Police prepare for DNC protesters in Charlotte, North Carolina - @wcnc

by ANN SHERIDAN / NewsChannel 36 Staff

Bio | Email | Follow: @SheridanWCNC

WCNC.com

Posted on September 2, 2012 at 8:18 AM

Updated today at 11:54 AM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Frazier Park remained quiet Sunday morning, but police arrived in groups throughout the early hours.  

Officers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and Monroe Police Department checked trees, play ground equipment and did a general sweep of the area.  

Officers told NewsChannel 36 they'll arrive in "waves," throughout the day as Wall Street South protesters assemble.  

The group says it has more than 90 different organizations that will demonstrate.

The protesters are expected to assemble around 11 a.m. at Frazier Park near uptown, then at 1 p.m. head into uptown, passing Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Duke Energy headquarters.

Organizers say the protest will be peaceful, but hundreds of police officers will also be on the streets.

Police Chief Rodney Monroe and about 120 officers will march with demonstrators through uptown to keep protestors safe and peaceful.  

Monroe says earlier estimates of 10,000 protestors won't hold up.  He says he expects 1,000 people at the most to take to the streets of uptown.