July 17, 2012
CONTACT: press@wallstsouth.org
CHARLOTTE — The Coalition to March on Wall Street South will be holding a press conference Wednesday, July 18 at 1 p.m. at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Headquarters, 601 East Trade Street in Charlotte.
The press conference is in response to the recent announcements by city and federal police agencies about security preparations for the DNC, the targeting of local activist Mr. Gifford Cordova by various police agencies, and to hear from national leaders of immigrants rights and economic justice organizations who are preparing to mobilize transportation to the March on Wall Street South and other actions in September.
“Why is the City of Charlotte afraid to hear community people raise their voices for jobs and justice? This is nothing more than an attempt to intimidate people into silence by creating a climate of fear so that folks won’t come out and speak their minds. People marched and died in this state to end that kind of race and class based intimidation, and no one is letting that kind of organized repression and intimidation return! But what’s worse is that tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions, can be spent on so called “security” when we lack money to give city workers raises, fund our schools, or provide the community with desperately needed programs and services,” said George Friday of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee.
Speakers at the press conference will include both local activists as well as national leaders of the May 1 Coalition for Workers and Immigrants Rights, Bail Out the People Movement, and an organizer involved with the 2008 DNC demonstrations in Denver.
“These attempts by the media and the police to stoke fear and vilify demonstrators is the status quo when it comes to these large national mobilizations, and we’ve seen this many, many times before. We’re inspired by the courage of the many activists here in Charlotte helping to plan the demonstrations in September who are standing up in the face of this campaign of intimidation. We are excited to help to bring immigrant workers and other activists from New York to stand here with you for the March on Wall Street South on Sunday, September 2,” said Teresa Gutierrez, co-coordinator of the May 1 Coalition for Workers and Immigrants Rights from New York City.
The Coalition to March on Wall Street South is helping to coordinate a series of actions before and during the DNC, including the March on Wall Street South on Sunday, September 2, beginning at 11am in Frazier Park. For more information, visit wallstsouth.org, email info@wallstsouth.org, follow @WallStSouth, or call 704-266-0362.
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