'Occupy Charlotte' protestors to march to council meeting

CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — Protestors with "Occupy Charlotte" told Eyewitness News they plan to march to the Charlotte City Council meeting on Monday.

"It was brought to our attention that Mayor Foxx does not understand why us as citizens are frustrated with the banks," Valeria Gallegos said.

The group rallied in Uptown on Sunday after they descended on Bank of America's headquarters in Charlotte Saturday afternoon.

A handful of protestors even spent the night at Old City Hall on Trade Street and said they will remain there for the foreseeable future as a way of showing solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York.  

The protestors are part of a national anti-Wall Street movement involving dozens of cities around the country.

They met at Old City Hall around 3 p.m. on Saturday, before marching the half mile up Trade Street to the bank building.

The protestors chanted slogans and held up posters to support a variety of social and economic causes.

Some protestors were angry at the banks.  Others were opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and others were opposed to utility rate increases and tuition hikes.
   
Terry Taylor went the protest with her daughter and her mother to send a message.
   
"The main thing is to help people understand we've got a real problem," Taylor said. "And they need to get involved in their democracy."
   
Among the crowd was Matt Dunn, a veteran iron welder from Colorado who moved to Charlotte two years ago hoping to find work.

"I am marching because my union hall was shut down in Colorado, along with many other union halls across the country. Our jobs are being outsourced.  Our jobs are being sent overseas," Dunn said.
   
Dunn said he's been unable to find a job because of his work history. He wants to see more support for trade unions.

"I have two college degrees. I'm a master welder. I was part of a union for 12 years. Nobody wants a part of me. Every employer is afraid I'm going to unionize their workers or something," he said.
   
Many protestors said they were angry over Bank of America's decision to charge customers five dollars a month to use a debit card.

They said they're also angry that the bank took billions in bailout money and yet announced this year they will lay off 30,000 employees.

"Their whole motive behind it is just to make money. That's it. Just to make money. Nobody cares about the little man," said protestor Donnie Jenkins.
   
Jenkins said the nation's largest bank has grown too big.
   
"They need to be taken apart, and taken into smaller companies instead of what they are now," he said.
   
The protestors stood outside Bank of America headquarters for an hour before peacefully dispersing.
   
Police said there were no arrests or confrontations, and all of the protestors obeyed the law.
   
It was a stark contrast to some of the more violent "Occupy" protests around the country, especially in New York - where thousands have been arrested over the last three weeks.

In Washington, D.C. on Saturday, the Air and Space Museum was shut down after hundreds of "Occupy" protestors tried to enter the museum.  It prompted security guards to use pepper spray.

In Charlotte, dozens of CMPD officers patrolled the area in police cruisers, on bicycles, and on foot.

The officers made sure protestors didn't interfere with traffic and were not blocking the sidewalk for pedestrians.
   
Police said they had an open dialogue with the protestors.
   
"We believe the more open communication we can have with organizers ahead of time, the more benefit we can get," said CMPD Captain Jeff Estes. "It's an open communication between us."

One of the Occupy Charlotte organizers said there will be another march next Saturday.

WSOC