#drumright

On the last day of early voting in Graham, North Carolina, a racially diverse group of about 200 people participated in the non-partisan “I Am Change” march to the polls, a peaceful rally encouraging people to vote. Most of them never made it there.

The rally was issued “a permit to use county property at the historic courthouse as a rally location.” At first, the march had a police escort. At one point, however, “the marchers held a moment of silence in the street in honor of George Floyd.” Apparently the local police didn’t take kindly to that.

“After the moment of silence concluded, law enforcement told people to clear the road. Then, deputies and police officers used pepper spray on the crowd and began arresting people. ... The crowd then moved to the courthouse where speeches were being given. But before the speeches concluded, Alamance County sheriff’s deputies began dismantling the sound system and telling the crowd to disperse. George Floyd’s niece was slated to speak at the event, but the speeches were disrupted before she got a chance at the microphone. Deputies and officers again used pepper spray to force people off the courthouse property.”

The police issued an official statement confirming the use of pepper spray but denying that “any member of the Graham Police Department” had ever directly sprayed “any participant in the march with chemical irritants.” The police also defended their use of pepper spray to terminate the rally prematurely, claiming: “the assembly reached a level of conduct that led to the rally being deemed unsafe and unlawful by unified command.”

Among those whom the police “deemed unsafe and unlawful” were young children, an elderly disabled woman, and a Democrat candidate for Congress:

Father's Day--a great way to spend the weekend!

Wasn’t this a great weekend?

On Friday, my critique group came to C-Town to have a yummy lunch (Dari Diner–oh, so good!) I love having them come to my stomping grounds. Fun!

Then Saturday, a couple of friends I’ve known all their lives (literally) got married. I borrowed this pic from their Facebook page.

Aren’t they adorable? I love it when people who should be together finally get together!…