Moral Monday protests resumed in Raleigh, NC last week as the legislature went into its short session. Defying new building rules intended to curtail the protests, protesters were back again Tuesday.
After a silent protest at the General Assembly last week, demonstrators turned up the volume on Tuesday - and into Wednesday - in an overnight sit-in at House Speaker Thom Tillis' office.
Nearly 20 protesters, described as "workers from McDonalds, Wendy's and Bojangles and clergy members" and dubbed the 'Tillis 15,' refused to leave Tillis' office for nearly 11 hours. Fourteen were arrested at about 1:45 a.m. Wednesday.
Tillis did not engage the protesters who sang and prayed on the floor of his office before being removed. A statement issued by the group's leader, state NAACP President Rev. William Barber, indicated that protesters remained determined, "People will die as a result of these cruel policies that have been put in place. People will lose the fundamental right to vote. We cannot stand idly by as our brothers and sisters are hurting."
