Raleigh, N.C. — Unlike recent weeks, people didn't march through downtown Raleigh on Tuesday in an effort to push state leaders to immediately lift restrictions that have shuttered thousands of North Carolina businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
ReOpenNC has organized rallies on four consecutive Tuesdays, demanding that Gov. Roy Cooper end his statewide stay-at-home order, which expires on Friday.
Tuesday's rally was much smaller than in recent weeks, with fewer than 200 people. The crowd also stayed in a parking lot on Jones Street across from the State Archives building instead of marching around the State Capitol, the Legislative Building and the governor's mansion.
The rally also was less confrontational than a week ago, when four people, including ReOpenNC co-founder Ashley Smith, were arrested and a gate to the governor's mansion was damaged.
Many ReOpenNC protestors say the stay-at-home order violated their constitutional rights, while others simply say the restrictions are hurting businesses.
About a dozen counter-protesters silently stood outside the Legislative Building Tuesday in scrubs, white coats and masks. The group, Health Workers Defend NC, wants Cooper and North Carolina lawmakers to maintain the stay-at-home order and keep "non-essential" businesses closed.
The group included nurses, medical students, physician assistants, lab techs, nurse assistants and pharmacists from across the state.
Cooper was expected to provide details during a Tuesday afternoon news conference about what businesses might be able to reopen this weekend after the stay-at-home order expires. He recently laid out a three-phase plan that would gradually lift restrictions.
ReOpenNC organizers announced at the end of their rally that the group is working on becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which would allow them to create a defense fund to file a lawsuit against the state over keeping the stay-at-home order in place.
The shift will “perpetuate this fight even further," Smith said.
ReOpenNC is also assessing its strategy of weekly rallies and plans to provide details Wednesday on its future actions, according to a spokesman.
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Much smaller ReopenNC crowd gathers in downtown Raleigh parking lot - WRAL.com
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