Thousands are expected to march on the state capitol Saturday morning to protest voting rights, minimum wage and representation for all.
This will mark the 10th annual Moral March on Raleigh.
Dr. William Barber, leader of the North Carolina NAACP led a press conference announcing the march.
The march comes as a federal trail against North Carolina’s voter ID laws concluded last week. The NAACP was the lead plaintiff in the case, now Barber said they are taking the fight to the streets.
“This is our Selma, this is our time, this is our vote. We are fighting in the legislative halls, we are fighting in the court rooms but we are also determined and organized to fight in the street and to show up at the ballot box,” said Barber.
The ruling from the voter ID case isn’t expected to come down before primary voting begins in March, so voters will be required to bring a photo ID to vote unless they can prove a reasonable impediment such as disability, transportation or lack of proper documents. Lawmakers added the reasonable impediment clause last summer after a similar law in Texas was declared unconstitutional at face value.
Proponents of the bill say it helps prevent voter fraud. Opponents of the photo ID law say it disproportionately affects minorities.
“We believe that it is a tragedy that 50 years after the signing of the Voting Rights Act we have less voting rights today than we did 50 years ago,” said Barber.
North Carolina’s voter laws have changed rules regarding early voting and same day registration, though only the requirement to have a photo ID was being challenged during the trial.
Barber said he wanted to disprove the idea that anyone’s religious or personal beliefs would exclude them from the march.
“We are in fact made up of people who are deeply theological and conservative. I am,” said Barber.
Instead Barber advocated to judge policies on a moral basis.
“We look at policies based on, not personality but are those polices morally defensible, constitutional consistent and economically sane,” said Barber.
Critics have labeled the marches as left-wing activism.
Organizers of the event will also focus on registering voters and sharing information about the upcoming election.
“This will not just be a march, where we march and then go home. This is an organizing mobilization in the public square,” said Barber.
The mass moral march on Raleigh will begin at 9 am with an opening rally at Shaw University followed by a march down Fayetteville Street to the state capitol.
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