Charlotte is 575 miles north of Tampa, according to Google Maps. And a number of Occupy Wall Street protesters made the trek from the Republican National Convention held in the Florida Gulf Coast city last week to the Democratic National Convention hosted in the Queen City this week.
Tents have been pitched in Charlotte’s Marshall Park, forming a temporary residence for Occupy Wall Street protesters. They have their signs. They have their banners. One, which has the red and white stripes similar to a U.S. flag, has different corporate symbols replacing the stars in the blue union.
A sign, lying on the grass, proclaims a “2nd Bill of Rights,” including a living wage, affordable housing and employment.
Gaze around and you’ll see their clothes hanging out to dry. I guess it’s a way to make do without modern conveniences.
Travis Cummins, a 27-year-old college history major from Mobile, Ala., made the trip from Tampa to Charlotte. By the way, he said the hot, humid weather he’s experiencing in Charlotte is similar to what he experienced while in Tampa, without Hurricane Isaac, of course.
He said he had problems with both major political parties.
“The Republicans and Democrats may appear different and mouth different rhetoric, but in actuality they’re both basically catering to big business,” Cummins said.
Cummins expresses a bit of frustration at the inability of Occupy protesters to get convention-goers to hear their message.
“We’re kept so far from where the delegates are, it’s virtually impossible, except for yelling at them from a fence across the street, which isn’t conducive to a constructive conversation,” Cummins said.
