A number of environmental, labor and community groups announced Thursday that they will band together to protest Bank of America Corp. in the coming months, pledging to put on a week's worth of large-scale events ahead of the Charlotte bank's shareholders meeting in May.

In a demonstration observed by more police officers than protestors, the group - numbering about a dozen - marched a cardboard casket up Tryon Street inscribed with "R.I.P. Democracy" in white paint.

"We are gathered here today to mourn the apparent death of the American dream," said Todd Zimmer of the Rainforest Action network, one of several speakers to take a microphone upon reaching Bank of America Plaza to outline their grievances and demands.

On May 9, shareholders and executives of the nation's second-largest bank by assets will converge on Charlotte to elect directors and set compensation.

Coinciding with the bank's release of its year-end earnings, the protestors Thursday touched on the issues they hope to present in a small-scale preview of what they hope will become a "spring of discontent."

"They are responsible for crashing the economy, but it is us, the 99 percent, who are stuck picking up the tab," said Brigid Flaherty, executive director of the community group Pushback Network, who lives in Durham. "We are taking this opportunity to put front and center the abuses of corporate power."

Luis Rodriguez, who has worked as a loan counselor and faced foreclosure himself, said the banks aren't doing enough to keep people in their homes and called for a moratorium on foreclosure.

"Charlotte is plagued by the same cancer that is tearing away at many other cities," he said. "This is a corruption of the heart."

UNC Charlotte freshman Elisa Benitez said students are being "oppressed" with burdensome student loans. Dante Strobino of the UE Local 150 union said the banks are impinging on people's "right to a job." Scottie Wingfield of the Occupy Charlotte movement decried banks' campaign spending and lobbying to influence government.

Afterward, a number of protestors attempted to deliver a letter to CEO Brian Moynihan. They were stopped at the door to corporate headquarters by a bank representative and a cadre of police.

Bank of America did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.