Moral Monday in Raleigh; Photo by Rachel Nash

CHAPEL HILL – The N.C. NAACP’s Moral Monday Movement is spreading to three locations across North Carolina on August 19. Rallies are happening in Charlotte, Burnsville, and Manteo in the Outer Banks. This new series of protests comes two weeks after the “Mountain Moral Monday” in Asheville drew record crowds and surpassed totals for the past demonstrations at the General Assembly in Raleigh.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reported that police estimated more than 5,000 people had gathered in Pack Square Park for the Mountain Moral Monday rally by 6 p.m. Later estimates doubled that amount.

During the 13 weeks of protesting in the capital city, thousands attended the demonstrations, and more than 900 people were arrested while rallying against the Republican-led legislature. The protesters say recently passed legislation is “regressive” and has made attacks against education, social and economic equality, and voting rights. The movement has captured national attention from media outlets such as the New York Times, MSNBC, CNN and Fox News, to name a few.

“We are traveling across the state with a moral and constitutional vision, mobilizing and calling on North Carolinians from every background to action, from the coast to the mountains, because the [Governor Pat] McCrory, [House of Representative Speaker Thom] Tillis and [Senate President Pro Tempore] Phil Berger Agenda is trying to turn this state 180 degrees in the wrong direction,” said Rev. William Barber, NAACP State Chapter President and Moral Monday protest leader, in a statement. “This trio and their extreme conservative supermajority have passed the most regressive and immoral legislation this state has seen in decades, or perhaps even longer.”

The NAACP and other groups hosting the protests promise to go to all 13 of North Carolina’s congressional districts in honor of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington on August 28.

 

BURNSVILLE MORAL MONDAY

Burnsville, NC

Monday, August 19, 2013

5:30 pm, Burnsville Town Square

 

CHARLOTTE MORAL MONDAY

Charlotte, NC

Monday, August 19, 2013

5pm, Marshall Park in downtown Charlotte

 

COASTAL MORAL MONDAY (MANTEO)

Manteo, NC

Monday, August 19, 2013

Roanoke IslandFestivalPark in downtown Manteo

Doors open at 4:00 pm and program begins at 6:00 pm