The MASSIVE Progressive Protest You Didn’t Hear About This Weekend

[G_j]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/02/09/3268901/moral-monday-north-carolina-gop/


15 Photos From The Massive Progressive Protest You Didn’t Hear About This Weekend

Somewhere between 80 to 100,000 people from 32 states turned out to protest four years of drastic state Republican initiatives in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday.
The “Moral March on Raleigh,” organized by Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HKonJ), marched from Shaw University to the state capitol to push back against the “immoral and unconstitutional policies” of Republican Gov. Pat McCrory during the 2013 NC General Assembly session. Since North Carolina Republicans took over both legislative chambers in 2010, legislators have eliminated a host of programs and raised taxes on the bottom 95 percent, repealed a tax credit for 900,000 working families, enforced voter suppression efforts, blocked Medicaid coverage, cut pre-Kindergarten funding, cut federal unemployment benefits, and gave itself the authority to intervene in abortion lawsuits.

Activists have gathered at weekly protests, called ‘Moral Mondays,’ in North Carolina since 2013 as a way to give voice to individuals whose rights were under attack by the Republican-controlled legislature.

While there were no reported arrests in Saturday’s protest, hundreds of nonviolent protesters were arrested during last year’s Moral Monday events.

Here’s a look at 15 of the best photos from Saturday’s Moral March:

[defacto7]

1. I caught it on AlJazeera news site.

Didn't notice it anywhere else.

[Fawke Em]

5. I wish I could have.

AT&T has it blocked out on my cable.

[defacto7]

11. You can go here..

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/2/8/tens-of-thousandsmarchagainstconservativepoliticsinnorthcarolina.html

So AT&T blocks AlJazeera? Now there's an open minded business. (sarc)

[Hissyspit]

16. I saw it, but I live in North Carolina.

Local station in Raleigh did a good segment on it last night.

[yeoman6987]

80. Somewhere between 80 to 100,000 people

That is a huge spread. Gosh 80 people or 100,000 people. They can't be any more accurate then that.

[Laelth]

2. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[TheMathieu]

3. Protesting Republican initiatives...

A movement we can all get behind.

[louslobbs]

4. Kick. n/t

Lou

[Scuba]

6. Thank you Moral Monday protesters!!

[Hekate]

7. KnR. They might profitably have arranged their schedule to avoid conflict with the Olympics...

It's too bad that the MSM can't think of more than one thing at a time, sad to say.

I wish them all the best publicizing this event via social media; all the best in the future too.

[marions ghost]

47. MSNBC is preoccupied with Christie and the WV-VA spills

...& you're right there's a lot of news right now RE the Olympics which are conflicting.

The Moral March date had precedence and significance for the organizing groups. Also intended as a kick-off to what will be a hard long struggle in NC leading up to the election. The rally was threatened by a dire weather forecast for ice-snow which never materialized. So at least it happened. And thanks to all who are spreading the word about it and to those who actually came from other states...

[progressoid]

8. Rec!

[underthematrix]

9. I knew about this as it was happening because my primary news source

is the www.theobamadiary - absolutely the best news source ever!

[SunSeeker]

30. Thanks for the tip.

I've heard about that site for years but never realized how good a news source it was until I finally logged on, thanks to your tip!

[postulater]

10. Wisconsin is with you!

[marions ghost]

54. Feelin it

Wisconsin

Watching:

http://www.prwatch.org/news/2014/02/12377/walker-campaign-finance-probe-court-docs-show

[WorseBeforeBetter]

12. Between Woody, the Olympics, and Third Way Greenwald distraction threads...

Moral March threads shared yesterday didn't get much traction. Pre-2008 DU would have been ALL OVER Moral Mondays.

Thanks for posting!

[G_j]

14. When 80,000 people protesting Republican policies

doesn't get traction, you know something is wrong in Whoville

[WorseBeforeBetter]

21. Yup. "Moral Mondays Spread to Georgia, South Carolina"...

http://www.atlantaprogressivenews.com/interspire/news/2014/02/08/(ips)-moral-mondays-spread-to-georgia-south-carolina.html

I like!

[Enthusiast]

24. Oh, it's wrong.

This country is clear off the rails.

[rhett o rick]

28. I have a number of the loyalists on ignore but I doubt they show up in this

thread. So why do they stay away? This has nothing to do with their idol.

[Enthusiast]

33. Curious isn't it.

[okaawhatever]

66. It also isn't a "progressive" protest. It's a protest begun by the NAACP that now has almost one

hundred groups supporting it, including religious leaders and the Democrats. Perhaps you should consider the political activity in North Carolina and ask if that's why the DNC held the convention there.
Please stop trying to take credit for something the "loyalists" helped create. Shall we examine how many informative posts and comments you put on DU in support of Moral Mondays? Maybe others like myself initially ignore this thread because we know the title was disingenuous.

[rhett o rick]

72. This has nothing to do with whether it's a progressive protest or not.

"Please stop trying to take credit for something the "loyalists" helped create." What? How am I trying to take credit?

And your rationalization that they stay away is because of the title is poor. TTP, XL-Pipeline, indefinite detention, fracking, are a few more titles that apparently keep them out of the discussions.

[okaawhatever]

74. And none of those topics inspired the march. Why change the title to begin with? nt

[rhett o rick]

75. So the word "progressive" is so repugnant to the loyalists that

they steer clear of the discussion? Rhetorical

[okaawhatever]

76. No, they just know the truth and don't fall for the co-opting of an important event for the benefit

of the minority. Again, answer my question. Why change the title of something? Don't want people to know the progressive party had nothing to do with the protest but want all the credit?

[rhett o rick]

79. "they just know the truth " Sorry but I have to disagree.

I would say "self delusional". They will claim Snowden gave secrets to Russia and that the NSA doesnt surveil millions of Americans as if they actually knew. I would hope they'd keep an open mind. Support further investigations TO GET AT THE TRUTH instead of claiming they already know the truth.

[G_j]

77. everyone I know who is involved could be described as progressive,

including myself. Not sure what you are talking about..

[okaawhatever]

81. I was referring to comments made by rhett o rick. Here they are:

I have a number of the loyalists on ignore but I doubt they show up in this

thread. So why do they stay away? This has nothing to do with their idol.



Rick doesn't believe Obama supporters had anything to do with the rally.

[G_j]

82. he is basically correct

that Obama supporters were involved, doesn't make it about him. The fact that the hundreds of signs all addressed progressive causes, is far more relevant.

[okaawhatever]

83. I'm not trying to say it was about Obama. Never mind. I'm well aware of what is/was going on with

Moral Mondays. I've reported frequently on the marches.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

86. The NC NAACP isn't progressive?

Pro-womens' rights, pro-public education, pro-marriage equality, pro-workers' rights, pro-environment, pro-voting rights... sounds pretty progressive to me.

IIR, HKonJ started in 2007 with about 3,500 marchers. OccupyRaleigh became active in 2010. All of those groups joined Dr. Barber and the NC NAACP in this fusion movement. I've been to a couple of Moral Monday protests -- these folks are hardcore, not Sensible Centrists sitting around trying to figure out what to think.

One of the biggest issues for me was "gay marriage," since voters in this state voted overwhelmingly to amend the state constitution to ban it. And it wasn't just old, white Republicans, it was many black pastors (and their flock) opposed to marriage equality. Dr. Barber reaching out to "our gay brothers and sisters" really is a thing of beauty.

[okaawhatever]

87. There is progressive as an adjective and progressive as a noun. Yes, the groups involved

were progressive groups, but it wasn't the "progressive party" so to speak. Rick was claiming that Obama supporters wouldn't post on the thread because it wasn't about Obama. To some people, Democrats and progressives aren't the same voters. Progressives don't support Obama, as is evident with a number of people here. I doubt you consider progressive to mean "don't support main stream Democrats or Obama" but some do.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

89. We're all too hung up on labels...

and in some cases, there's not much actual understanding of said labels.

Attention needs to be focused on the issues, like the ones I mentioned above, the ones that bring together "Progressives," the NC NAACP, Occupiers, left-leaning libertarians, etc. Those are the people I see at Occupy and Moral Mondays, the ones who VOTE.

(Quick answer... have to get back to work).

[NewJeffCT]

46. Happens all the time

The Glen Beck rally a few years back drew a similar total to Washington DC and got round-the-clock coverage on Fox, and extensive coverage on the other news channels.

A few weeks later, there was a pro-choice or pro-marriage equality (forgot which one) march that drew nearly the same amount of people to DC, and it registered nary a blip outside of a few mentions on MSNBC and a humorous take on The Daily Show.

[loudsue]

37. The other side has effectively penetrated this site.

The "juries", as well. Just like they did the democratic party. It has run off a great many liberal voices.

[JustAnotherGen]

59. And now

They are starting to run off the black (solid Democratic voting block) folks at DU too. I predict the AA Group will no longer exist by the 2014 midterms. We are no longer wanted at DU due to the Libertarian Infiltration. Going back to the the Birchers - they have hated our guts.

In the meantime - I'm giving this thread a kick and rec.

The last gasp of true progressives and liberals are in the OP of this thread.

[CTyankee]

13. It is an outrage that this was not covered! I didn't watch TV this weekend but I expect to see

SOMETHING on national TV about it MOnday morning!

[loudsue]

39. The fact that it WASN'T covered is what needs to go viral.

That truly is an outrage. But in this country, unless bottles are thrown and businesses are ransacked and violence predominates, there will be no "news".

[marions ghost]

49. Yeah no arrests...

not even any trash left behind. The organizers of this did a fantastic job!

America thrives on violence. This is a non-violent happening. It won't be televised.

You are right.

[marions ghost]

61. Huffpo Article Monday:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roger-hickey/moral-march-rallies-in-ra_b_4757803.html?view=print&comm_ref=false

"I was honored to be part of a historic and joyful event on Saturday, February 8, as an estimated 75,000 to 100,000 North Carolinians streamed into their capital city from all over their state to participate in an historic Moral March on Raleigh.

As they were filling the long street between Shaw University and the Capitol Building, the chair of the state Republican party, Claude Pope, went on television and called the march organizer, Rev. William Barber II, the "de-facto head of the North Carolina Democratic party." He meant it as an insult.

But anyone who attended the Moral March on Raleigh came away with a very strong sense that Reverend Barber is leading a movement that is far more profoundly transformative than politics -- although it could affect politicians of all stripes this year and for years and decades to come."
(more at link)

[kelliekat44]

15. It is an outrage that it wasn't covered by the MSM. Now we really know who the enemy is BUT

look on the bright side. This could mean that this massive movement will take them by surprise. Not publicized much may mean the Kock bastards won't spend too much time and money organizing against the movement. I just hope the movement keeps on growing and people will ignore the talking points media and pay attention to what is really happening to them and by whose hands they are being harmed.

[ReRe]

20. Oh yes, the revolution IS growing...

... but it will NOT be televised. That we can always keep this in mind and never become discouraged!

[riqster]

43. Gil-Scott Heron was truly a prophet.

http://m.

&feature=kp

Kick for a great thread!

[ReRe]

50. Thanks riqster

I don't know how to add clips. I'm an old dummy.

[SomethingFishy]

57. Easy way to add clips from youtube...

Go to the video you want to post, highlight and copy the address from your browser, paste the address into your post. Simple. Works for pictures too...

[ReRe]

58. I know sweetie...

... but I tried it once and it didn't work. I must get my son over here to show me how to do it. Being able to do that will make a total monster out of me.

[riqster]

84. Yeah, kids are the new help desk. :-)

[ReRe]

88. This kid of mine...

... knows all about computers. BS and Assoc degrees in it. If I need a new computer, he buys all the components and builds it himself. Only thing is... he works all the time and I hate to bother him when he has some free time. I do need to learn, though, so I can contribute more here on DU. This old dog CAN still learn new tricks.

[rhett o rick]

60. The revolution or rebellion needs a specific strategy. We all hash over all the various

inequities and problems but I dont see anyone trying to come up with a strategy. If someone is doing such, I'd like to know.

[ReRe]

70. I know nothing...

But I watch and listen and keep my ear to the ground, so-to-speak.

[rhett o rick]

73. I would hope a progressive think tank would be working on it. nm

[jeff47]

90. Well, one step might to not try to co-opt a 100,000 person protest

as an attack on "Obama Loyalists". As you did upthread.

Tossing aside the non-Scotsmen is a fantastic way to keep people "all over the place".

[NewJeffCT]

53. As I said upthread

it's outrageous, but not exactly unprecedented. A few years back, Glen Beck had one of his rallies in Washington DC and it was attended by a similar amount of people as this protest. It received, of course, wall-to-wall coverage on Fox, and extensive coverage on the other networks.

Two weeks later, there was a march for (I think) marriage equality or a pro-choice rally. Attendance was similar to Beck's rally, but it received zero coverage on the news, other than a few mentions on MSNBC and a funny outtake on The Daily Show comparing the near blackout of media coverage for the "liberal" rally vs the Beck media frenzy two weeks earlier.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

96. It's FANTASY to think that about the Koch brothers...

seriously.

POLITICO LOOKS AT AFP V. HAGAN IN NORTH CAROLINA: From today’s story: The Koch brothers have a seemingly bottomless pot of cash this election year — and no one knows it better than Sen. Kay Hagan.

Americans for Prosperity, a group co-founded by the conservative billionaires, has already dropped $8.2 million on TV, radio and digital ads in an effort to defeat the North Carolina Democrat. According to sources tracking media buys, the group has so far spent more in North Carolina than all Democratic outside groups in every Senate race in the country — combined. ...

“The people of North Carolina need to know what their agenda is,” Hagan said in an interview of David and Charles Koch, the owners of the multinational manufacturing firm Koch Industries. “They want to have tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy and, at the same time, put that burden on the middle class and the poor. They want to cut Medicare, Social Security. All of these issues are so, so important to the middle class.” Read more here.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/12/3614885/morning-memo-north-carolina-not.html#storylink=cpy

A majority of North Carolinians HATE Obamacare and will take it out on Hagan. What really chaps my ass is that we don't get Medicaid expansion, and we may lose a Democratic senator to boot. Granted, she's no Warren or Sanders (I), but still. Should Obama put on his comfortable shoes and campaign for Hagan, or stay out of it?

[zeemike]

17. It's that liberal media.

They have to be fair and balanced, so if there is no tea party protest as big as that they can't cover it...they follow the Fox model.

[Solly Mack]

18. K&R

[oldandhappy]

19. You are correct.

I did not see it. Thank you for the post. It gives me hope to know this many people turned out. Fragile hope, but hope. I send my cheers.

[Comrade Grumpy]

22. Thank you. Good to see people actually doing something.

[Enthusiast]

23. K&R! That is so inspirational!

[marions ghost]

93. yes

[johnnyreb]

25. I don't see anything in South Carolina's 'The State' newspaper

Googling thestate.com for both "Moral March" and "Moral Monday", only gets one story Feb 6 2014, about how there's maybe gonna be some march.

[G_j]

34. not surprising

at all

[loudsue]

40. It's not South Carolina....it's North Carolina.

That might change your search.

[johnnyreb]

85. Of course, but we're neighbors.

Good excuse to kick though!

[G_j]

94. if they reported the story before the rally

you would think they could report on it's ultimate success.

[WillyT]

26. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[arthritisR_US]

27. Let the mustard seed take root....

[SunSeeker]

29. K & R for exposure.

[red dog 1]

31. K&R ..thanks for posting.

Last edited Mon Feb 10, 2014, 04:55 AM - Edit history (2)

And thanks to all the protesters too

100,000 people marching against "immoral and unconstitutional policies" = NO MSM coverage.

But get 150 tea baggers with misspelled signs bashing Obama, now THAT would get MSM coverage.

[yuiyoshida]

32. This!

[loudsue]

42. I recommend this post.

That is awesome.

[adirondacker]

52. +1000. That's Awesome! nt

[dchill]

35. K & R.

[Bluenorthwest]

36. I have lots of friends in NC, so I knew all about it. Did not post about it here

Because the mood here the last week or so is base and nasty.

[ProSense]

38. Expand Medicaid, increase the minimum wage, women's rights

Very cool.

[ctsnowman]

41. K & R

[mnhtnbb]

44. Hubby went to the Friday night - pre-March--meeting downtown Raleigh

Last edited Mon Feb 10, 2014, 01:06 PM - Edit history (1)

There were many progressive church leaders from up/down east coast
speaking, including Rev. Barber, who has been the organizing force behind
the Moral Mondays last year.

We weren't able to participate in the Saturday march because our son's
SO was having a birthday party at the same time.

Hubby says the reports from the march organizers are upwards of 80,000
people participated. The local newspaper reports "thousands" and apparently
the Raleigh Police refused to provide an estimate.

That makes it pretty clear the PTB are hoping this will all go away if it doesn't get
coverage.

There was a not very enthusiastic article in the Raleigh paper: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/08/3602345/hkonj-thousands-march-in-downtown.html

BUT, there was a GREAT editorial:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/08/3602861/saturdays-big-protest-in-raleigh.html

[G_j]

45. Thank you

nice editorial!

[okaawhatever]

67. the link to the regular story (what a joke) worked but the link to the editorial didn't. I even

searched by thousands and thousands of people. If you can provide an updated link I'd appreciate it.

[mnhtnbb]

68. That's strange. Just fixed it.

It worked when I first posted it. Maybe they changed the link.

Here is the new one--tested--and it works.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/08/3602861/saturdays-big-protest-in-raleigh.html

[okaawhatever]

71. Awesome. Before I got the search page. Thanks again....... nt

[G_j]

69. it still works for me.. nt

[marions ghost]

78. Comments on the original Raleigh newspaper article

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/08/3602345/hkonj-thousands-march-in-downtown.html

There are over 100 comments on this page to this Raleigh N&O article--gives good insight into the NC reaction (at least the polite NC reaction).

[EC]

48. MSNBC covered it

both on MHP's show, where she even featured it and on Alex Witt's show.

and on edit: I'm sure Reverand Sharpton will have a part of his show on this too.

[marions ghost]

55. Not on MHP website

-----

when did you see this?

[EC]

62. Sat.

She even had the Reverand that is in charge of the Moral Monday's on.

[marions ghost]

63. Glad to hear that

Melissa has been reporting on it. and I hope she stays on it. Rachel also did coverage of the voter suppression in NC last year. MSNBC is keeping tabs on NC.

[marions ghost]

51. More pix and Rev Barber's speech highlights here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024467495

[woo me with science]

56. K&R

[myrna minx]

64. Wonderful post. K&R! Thanks so much for posting.

[Octafish]

65. This wasn't on my television screen.

Doesn't seem to have made a dent on the GOOGLE, either, for some reason.

Thank you for the heads-up, G_j. Lots of people still give a damn, no matter what anybody says.

[certainot]

91. pols and media don't have to pay attention to protests because RW radio is louder- include radio sta

tions in protests to really make then effective.

OWS should have made that clear.

a few blowhards with big megaphones can undo the effect of thousands of protestors- they can distort and attack the protestors and their aims before during and long after the protests- to thousands of listeners and not just the RW base.

univ of north carolina rents the tarheels logo to 8 limbaugh stations
( https://sites.google.com/site/universitiesforrushlimbaugh/ ) that will be doing just that- with those logos on their megaphones. it happens all over the country all the time and to continue to allow it without a push back is nuts.

stink tank-coordinated radio stations like that are the major advantage the right has. UNC needs to be pushed to honor its mission statement and declare it will not renew with RW radio and will look for apolitical alts.

the money they get from licensing to the talk radio component is minor compared to the education defunding and sabotage those radio stations have inflicted on NC. without that advertising-attracting endorsement some of those stations will have to find alternative programming and that's very good for progress and dems in NC. just the move to pull out in the future will scare off local advertisers.

[valerief]

92. If 10 teabaggers turned out, we'd be watching their misspelled shit for days. nt

[me b zola]

95. K&R

[imthevicar]

97. That Dag-Burn LIBURRL MEDIA,

Ain't so Liberal after all!