It’s short session season. Join our pro-civil rights and civil liberties advocacy — stay tuned for more soon!

Take action now: https://rebrand.ly/ice-rivers

Send a clear message: No ICE detention center at Rivers!

We must stand up to federal immigration agencies’ reckless abuses of power that are tearing through our communities.

Take action: https://act.acluofnc.org/a/iceout?ms=durhamfam

Music is next and it’s time to dance. Thanks for following along!

Ariel Carlin with 50501 NC thanked the donors who brought food for the local food drive. She also gave the crowd some reminders: check voter registration, call your representatives, shop local and shop small, sign a strike card for the General Strike, sign up for one of the local orgs tabling.

“The jury is still out on whether we as Americans would stand up to oppression the way we’re seeing the citizens of Iran stand up to the regime.”

“Every time we get this wrong, we don’t just lose service members, we create children who will never know their parents.”

Joey Gray from Money Out of Politics talked about his military service and the devastation of mothers who have lost children to unnecessary war.

“This is not worth what it took. That’s what war looks like. Not policy. Not press conferences.”

Christina started a chant of “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.”

“We’re not waiting for someone to come save us. We’re building the kind of power that allows us to make change.”

Siembra is launching an “Enough should be enough” listening tour to speak with North Carolinians about what they actually want to change, and turning that into a people’s agenda.

Next up: Hector, an organizer from Siembra NC.

“Right now, we are all under attack … It’s getting harder and harder to get by.”

He said Siembra’s goal is to make NC the safest state in the country for immigrants and the best state for workers.

“All people, every single one, deserve to live without fear.”

A chant started of “we will not stop until we do.”

“We’re not fighting in spite of hope, but because of it.” She quoted Pauli Murray: “Hope is a song in a weary throat.”

“The reality is, change will require all of us.”

She encouraged everyone to stop by our table and sign our ICE Out petition.

“Our rights are not partisan, they’re not negotiable, and they will never be surrendered. We did not arrive at this moment without a fight, and we will not leave it without one either.”

“As students of history, this is a playbook that we know well. This is the legacy of slave catchers … It is not new to us in the South. We know this road, and we know where it leads.”

Next up, our ED Chantal Stevens. She started by quoting our clients in our class action lawsuit challenging ICE’s warrantless arrests: “I am a US citizen, but my papers do not protect me.”

She encouraged everyone in the audience to join an event at the State Capitol on May 1 for International Workers Day.

“Kids over corporations.”

“We need decision makers who are committed to fighting to reclaim our democracy … We, our kids, our students, deserve free and safe communities free from gun violence and ICE.”

Next up is Christina Cole, a high school special ed teacher and a representative of the Wake County Association of Educators.

“North Carolina is 50 out of 50 states in education funding and teacher pay.”

“No Kings means saying yes, loudly and proudly, to next steps.”

When he spoke on Phil Berger’s reelection campaign, protestors spontaneously began collectively singing the chorus of “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.”

Sailor Jones, the new State Director of Common Cause, spoke on gerrymandering in our state and the importance of voting rights in protecting our democracy.

“What started as a sham turned into a damn shame.”

He and his wife ended his speech with a chant of “If we vote our power!”

Bishop Barber compared the disease of inequality to the broken health care system.

“None of what we see happening was inevitable. The nation can be healed. The darkness of constant lies can be replaced with compelling truth … We must decide right here right now, never again.”

We’re here at #NoKings Raleigh, where our ED Chantal Stevens will be speaking shortly. Stay tuned!

Before you hit the streets, know your rights.

RSVP for the No Kings protest in Raleigh: www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/900736/

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This No Kings, we’re building community power. Can’t make it to Raleigh? Find a protest near you: www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/900736/

ACLU-NC will continue providing updates and resources.