New York Times Atlanta bureau chief Kim Severson on Friday committed her usual labeling bias describing prep work by the host city for the Democratic National Convention in "Charlotte Girds for Party And Array of Protesters."
Severson found "radical evangelical groups" composed of "conservative Christians" as well as a "conservative country music concert," but the left-wing Occupy Movement failed to draw even a "liberal" label, much less a "radical" one.
The variety of demonstrators planning to invade this Southern city for the Democratic National Convention is wide and deep.
When the party gathers on Sept. 4, both anarchists bent on bringing down government and radical evangelical groups bearing down on homosexuals and abortion doctors will be here.
In between, others will protest a range of issues that includes war, increases in college costs, immigration reform, labor practices, antigay laws, the nation’s policies on marijuana and the jailing of a soldier accused of leaking classified material.
There will be the UndocuBus, filled with illegal immigrants, and the Values Bus, sponsored by the Family Research Council and the Heritage Foundation.
Counting a Muslim day of prayer that begins before the convention starts and a conservative country music concert and rally that starts a day after President Obama is expected to accept the nomination on Sept. 6, the numbers of people showing up to protest in Charlotte will most likely be in the tens of thousands.
Severson explained why more are expected in Charlotte than in the Republican convention city of Tampa:
For one thing, Charlotte will have a sitting president. And it is the second-largest banking city in the nation, home to Bank of America and the East Coast division of Wells Fargo -- a designation that is driving at least 80 national groups, many from the Occupy movement and organized loosely as the Coalition to March on Wall Street South, to show up for a Sept. 2 protest.
At the same time, conservative Christians are planning a conference called Charlotte714, a reference to a biblical passage that promises God will forgive sins if people turn from their “wicked ways.” About 40 churches will gather in the 20,000-seat Verizon Wireless Amphitheater that day as well for a prayer service.
