Moral Week of Action planned to start Friday in Raleigh
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- After almost 70 weeks of protests and nearly 1,000 protestors arrested, the so-called "Moral Movement" is back. A week's worth of protests is planned to start on Friday.
After a news conference to announce their plans, the group paid a visit to Gov. Pat McCrory's offices at the Old State Capitol. The governor was not in, but movement leader, Rev. William Barber and Moral Monday leaders left a letter for him.
The letter was a litany of complaints about the Republican agenda at the General Assembly. They called the tax cuts unfair to the poor and middle class, called the new school voucher plan unconstitutional and education cuts unconscionable.
"If we had just cut this session off on July 1, instead of spending another two and a half million dollars for these folks to meet for the last 50 legislative days, we could've funded 100 teaching assistants that have been fired," insisted Rob Schofield with liberal think tank NC Policy Watch.
The news conference outside the Capitol was aimed at setting the tone of what will be seven straight days of protests at the General Assembly starting on Friday.
Things may not be limited to Raleigh. Rev. Barber says similar demonstrations are planned in Republican-controlled state houses in six other states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Wisconsin and Mississippi.
"The greatest hurt is happening to the people, black, poor, Latino and those at risk are happening in state capitals," said Barber.
Over 900 protestors have been arrested since the Moral Monday demonstrations began.
In the last three weeks, two Wake County judges have dismissed disturbance and trespassing charges against several protestors, ruling general assembly police violated demonstrator's constitutional rights.
With a hundred more trials still to come, movement leaders say enough is enough.
"It is costing the state literally thousands of dollars every month, every week, just to try these cases," said NAACP legal advisor Irv Joyner. "[The cases] should be dismissed."
Friday begins what the group is calling a Moral Week of Action, seven straight days of protests culminating in a mass rally in Raleigh next Thursday.
