Leaders of a protest movement that led to nearly 1,000 arrests at the General Assembly last year announced Wednesday that they will hold their first rally of the 2014 legislative session next Monday, according to WRAL in Raleigh.
Led by the NAACP, the “Moral Monday” movement tapped an undercurrent of dissatisfaction with the Republican-led General Assembly. Riffing on Gov. Pat McCrory’s theme of a “Carolina comeback” to describe his economic policies, state NAACP president Rev. William Barber said during a Wednesday news conference that the priorities of McCrory and the Republican legislative leadership continue to produce a “Carolina setback” and need to be changed.
According to a letter Barber sent to the governor and lawmakers, protesters plan to hold “a love feast” similar to a Passover seder to symbolize how they are working together to defeat the injustices they see. Legislators and McCrory were invited to participate in the meal.
Although the causes for which protesters turned out last year varied, education spending, voting rights and the state’s refusal to expand its Medicaid health insurance program for the poor were top of mind for many.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.