SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A 'Nonviolent Army of Love' Rises in North Carolina to Face Down Rightwing's Assault on Progress
Movement gathers around 'Moral Monday' protests aimed at fighting off GOP takeover
May 21, 2013
"We're going to continue our acts of civil disobedience because the General Assembly has made a cruel attack on the most vulnerable people in this state," declared Rev. William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP.
A crowd of hundreds assembled outside the state's General Assembly building in Raleigh on Monday evening in a massive act of civil disobedience--the fourth consecutive week of demonstrations dubbed 'Moral Mondays,' spearheaded by the civil rights group.
"What started with tens of supporters and 17 arrests," reports the Associated Press, "has attracted hundreds of people of different age groups, races and professions to protest the policies of the General Assembly."
The number of those being arrested has grown each week as well, with 57 protesters arrested during Monday's action bringing the total number to 153.
Individuals are risking arrest to draw attention to the policies of GOP Governor Pat McCrory and the conservative-run General Assembly--including cuts to social programs, education reforms, a rejection of federal funding to expand Medicaid coverage, and changes to voting laws--which protesters call "an assault" on the state's poor and unemployed.
In response, the NAACP has amassed, what Barber refers to as, a growing "nonviolent volunteer army of love" to stand up against the "escalating Republican assault," writes local journalist, Bob Geary.
"We hope that, through civil disobedience, they will change, they will repent, they will turn around," Barber said, of the state's Republican majority. "But if they don't, we will assure that what they do will not be done in the dark."
"The people getting arrested in waves at the General Assembly are carrying a message from many thousands of North Carolinians," said an editorial Charlotte Observer. "They represent not only those who need government services, but those who believe the legislature is breaking the traditions and reversing the gains of a great and enlightened state."
"In the people's house, such messengers ought not be arrested," it continues. "They should be heard and heeded."
According to Barber, who spoke with BET, the NAACP plans to escalate the actions in the coming weeks and have outlined a 25-county tour to raise awareness of the discriminatory policies.
"We have to continue this," Barber said. "This is a movement, not just a one-day event. We're going to work to guarantee that this state knows how regressive this legislature is. That way, when 2014 comes, the people of this state can vote in an appropriate way."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
"We're going to continue our acts of civil disobedience because the General Assembly has made a cruel attack on the most vulnerable people in this state," declared Rev. William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP.
A crowd of hundreds assembled outside the state's General Assembly building in Raleigh on Monday evening in a massive act of civil disobedience--the fourth consecutive week of demonstrations dubbed 'Moral Mondays,' spearheaded by the civil rights group.
"What started with tens of supporters and 17 arrests," reports the Associated Press, "has attracted hundreds of people of different age groups, races and professions to protest the policies of the General Assembly."
The number of those being arrested has grown each week as well, with 57 protesters arrested during Monday's action bringing the total number to 153.
Individuals are risking arrest to draw attention to the policies of GOP Governor Pat McCrory and the conservative-run General Assembly--including cuts to social programs, education reforms, a rejection of federal funding to expand Medicaid coverage, and changes to voting laws--which protesters call "an assault" on the state's poor and unemployed.
In response, the NAACP has amassed, what Barber refers to as, a growing "nonviolent volunteer army of love" to stand up against the "escalating Republican assault," writes local journalist, Bob Geary.
"We hope that, through civil disobedience, they will change, they will repent, they will turn around," Barber said, of the state's Republican majority. "But if they don't, we will assure that what they do will not be done in the dark."
"The people getting arrested in waves at the General Assembly are carrying a message from many thousands of North Carolinians," said an editorial Charlotte Observer. "They represent not only those who need government services, but those who believe the legislature is breaking the traditions and reversing the gains of a great and enlightened state."
"In the people's house, such messengers ought not be arrested," it continues. "They should be heard and heeded."
According to Barber, who spoke with BET, the NAACP plans to escalate the actions in the coming weeks and have outlined a 25-county tour to raise awareness of the discriminatory policies.
"We have to continue this," Barber said. "This is a movement, not just a one-day event. We're going to work to guarantee that this state knows how regressive this legislature is. That way, when 2014 comes, the people of this state can vote in an appropriate way."
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
"We're going to continue our acts of civil disobedience because the General Assembly has made a cruel attack on the most vulnerable people in this state," declared Rev. William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP.
A crowd of hundreds assembled outside the state's General Assembly building in Raleigh on Monday evening in a massive act of civil disobedience--the fourth consecutive week of demonstrations dubbed 'Moral Mondays,' spearheaded by the civil rights group.
"What started with tens of supporters and 17 arrests," reports the Associated Press, "has attracted hundreds of people of different age groups, races and professions to protest the policies of the General Assembly."
The number of those being arrested has grown each week as well, with 57 protesters arrested during Monday's action bringing the total number to 153.
Individuals are risking arrest to draw attention to the policies of GOP Governor Pat McCrory and the conservative-run General Assembly--including cuts to social programs, education reforms, a rejection of federal funding to expand Medicaid coverage, and changes to voting laws--which protesters call "an assault" on the state's poor and unemployed.
In response, the NAACP has amassed, what Barber refers to as, a growing "nonviolent volunteer army of love" to stand up against the "escalating Republican assault," writes local journalist, Bob Geary.
"We hope that, through civil disobedience, they will change, they will repent, they will turn around," Barber said, of the state's Republican majority. "But if they don't, we will assure that what they do will not be done in the dark."
"The people getting arrested in waves at the General Assembly are carrying a message from many thousands of North Carolinians," said an editorial Charlotte Observer. "They represent not only those who need government services, but those who believe the legislature is breaking the traditions and reversing the gains of a great and enlightened state."
"In the people's house, such messengers ought not be arrested," it continues. "They should be heard and heeded."
According to Barber, who spoke with BET, the NAACP plans to escalate the actions in the coming weeks and have outlined a 25-county tour to raise awareness of the discriminatory policies.
"We have to continue this," Barber said. "This is a movement, not just a one-day event. We're going to work to guarantee that this state knows how regressive this legislature is. That way, when 2014 comes, the people of this state can vote in an appropriate way."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.