RALEIGH – A protest of Republican policies at the North Carolina General Assembly has ended with the arrests of 17 people.

General Assembly police arrested members of the state chapter of the NAACP and other activists Monday outside the Senate chambers. The demonstrators called attention through prayer and song to what they called a regressive agenda.

Police Chief Jeff Weaver said the protestors will be charged.

The protest was directed at Republican action on health care, unemployment benefits, education and voting rights. The House passed a bill last week requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls, which the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People views as a poll tax.

Chapter president the Rev. William Barber said more protests at the General Assembly are likely.