Protesting Against "Pain" as Moral Monday Arrests Near 700 in North Carolina

Monday marked the ninth wave of civil disobedience actions known as “Moral Mondays” in North Carolina where the NAACP-coordinated event resulted in 80 people being taken into custody, bringing the total arrests since its inception in April to almost 700.

“There are so many unjust things happening you can’t narrow it to just one …” —Sally Johnson, participant

The action took place one week after the gutting of the historic Voting Rights Act and on the exact ​day unemployment benefits were slated to be cut for 70,000 North Carolinians​, two injustices the rally focused on.

A flyer posted on the NC NAACP website emphasized the importance of demonstrating at such a historic time. With “Protect the Unemployed!” and “Let the People Vote!” bolded at the top of the page, the statement continued:

The protest began at 5 p.m. and ​two hours later the arrests began. According to local news outlet WRAL, General Assembly police chief Jeff Weaver warned those assembled in the atrium that their protest was “unlawful” and they would be arrested if they did not leave. Dozens of officers handcuffed those who remained with zip-ties. As the arrests began, the crowd began to sing “This Little Light of Mine,” adding their own chorus “even in a jail cell, I’m going to let it shine!”