CHARLOTTE – Hundreds are gathering for a march through Charlotte’s central business district ahead of the Democratic National Convention to protest what they say is a corporate takeover of the nation’s political process.

Late Sunday morning, about 250 demonstrators had gathered at Frazier Park on the outskirts of Charlotte’s Uptown district for the march that was set to begin at 1 p.m. Organizers have said they were expecting thousands.

Demonstrators had signs indicating that some were union workers, anti-war veterans and undocumented immigrants.

The route of Sunday’s March on Wall Street South will go past the corporate headquarters of Bank of America and a major office hub for Wells Fargo. They are two of the nation’s largest financial institutions.

Organizers say the protest will be peaceful, but hundreds of police officers will also be on the streets.