But as the grass begins to take root, so does a resilient Occupy Charlotte. A small group still meets regularly in the city, participating in targeted protests and planning for some critical dates already circled on the calendar: May 9, when the annual Bank of America shareholders meeting is held in Charlotte, and, more important, Sept. 3, when the Democratic National Convention comes to town. Every four years, the political conventions become magnets for mass protests, but this year the Occupy movement has added an unpredictable element to the mix. In Charlotte, the movement has already shown its clout through hundreds of protesters in October who gathered to demonstrate against Bank of America and a resulting encampment on the lawn in front of old City Hall. But the Occupy movement here has been beset by troubles. There was infighting over leadership within the group at the start, and there were repeated public relations gaffes. A flag burning in December split the group, and undermined acceptance and support within a skeptical Charlotte community as well. Occupy Charlotte’s encampment may have had the unintended effect of getting the authorities prepared for convention protests; officials began planning a series of ordinances to manage such demonstrations after Occupy began. “To be honest with you,” said Robert E. Hagemann, the city attorney, “I’m not sure we would have thought to prohibit camping as part of our ordinances had Occupy not happened.” On Jan. 23, the Democratic-controlled Charlotte City Council passed the ordinances, including a camping ban, on a 10-to-1 vote. A week later, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers crossed the street from their headquarters and arrested seven people on the way to dismantling the camp. “We’re the second-largest financial services center in the country, so it didn’t take a rocket scientist to think that we would see the activity here as well,” Mayor Anthony Foxx said of the Occupy Charlotte movement. “But we’ve handled it, I think, as well or better than any community across the country.” Not everyone would agree. Occupy Charlotte members said city officials tried to discredit the group, saying the protest movement had cost the police $447,000 to monitor during the encampment. Ken Davies, a Charlotte lawyer, sought a temporary restraining order to allow Occupy Charlotte to return to camp, but it was not granted. He is now seeking an injunction. Occupy Charlotte members have continued to meet regularly and arrange smaller protests, including a recent daylong event outside a Bank of America branch in town. But without the camp, the number of active members has dwindled just as planning for the convention kicks into high gear. “We’re definitely at our low point,” said Scottie Wingfield, 36, of Charlotte, an Occupy member. “I would say about 25, and when we started out, our first marches were 600, 700.” “We have the spring shareholders meeting at Bank of America coming here in May, so I imagine we’ll have a lot of people wanting to participate in that,” she said. “And then of course the D.N.C. So I think participation will go back up.” Bill Dobbs, a member of Occupy Wall Street’s press team, said there is continuing communication with Occupy Charlotte members as they plan bank and convention protests. And as many as 60 groups have signed on to join the Coalition to Protest at the D.N.C. In Florida, Occupy Tampa is involved in planning similar efforts for the Republican National Convention, which will be held there in August, but the group has had smaller protests than those in Charlotte and the city has proposed a “clean zone” limiting where demonstrations can be held. In planning protests this time around, for the conventions, social media is likely to play a bigger role. “I think there’s been a lot more inter-occupation communication as people got away from the encampments and starting getting online and establishing lines of communication across the country,” said Domenic Battistella, 34, of nearby Mooresville, an original member of Occupy Charlotte. “We’re going to be much more coordinated on a regional basis.” Occupy Charlotte members recently met with Occupy protesters from throughout North Carolina to prepare for the convention and are planning to provide housing, food and other support for those who come from out of state. An Occupy Durham member is now helping the legal team in a potential challenge as Charlotte officials continue to hold off allowing groups to apply for permits to protest at the convention. Michael Zytkow, 25, an Occupy Charlotte member, said the May 9 protest at the Bank of America meeting could draw Occupy members from as far as Michigan and Washington State, as well as labor groups, others protesting the bank’s foreclosures and environmental groups focused on the bank’s financing of the coal industry. Mr. Zytkow hopes the protest draws as many as 1,000 people, providing a test run for the convention and the city’s ability to control the demonstrations. And how many will come for the convention? “I’m guessing in the thousands upon thousands,” Mr. Zytkow said.
