AFP counter-protesting in Raleigh TODAY. Help make sure our voices are heard!

Submitted by KatyMunger on Tue, 07/12/2011 - 3:12pm

Dear Blue NCers. We got word this morning that Americans For Prosperity are planning a counter-protest at the same time and place as our voting rights / redistricting rally at the General Assembly today (July 13) at 11 AM.

We will be protesting the numerous attacks on voting rights mounted by the GOP this year and the blatant partisan plundering of the redistricting process while AFP, in addition to parading about in polyester and griping about immigrants and the poor quality of barbecue in Raleigh, will be urging legislators to override all of Governor Perdue's recent vetoes.

We would really love it if those of you in the Raleigh area could help us show AFP what "of, by and for the people" really means... maybe by fielding a lot more people, with a lot more diversity, than their crowd? Protest signs and strong voices welcome! More after the jump.

Join us for an hour in front of the General Assembly starting at 11:00 AM. After a *short* speaker program we'll have a 10-minute silent protest in the Senate Gallery. Wear a red shirt to symbolize our determination to stop any further attacks on voting rights. And, please, tell your friends about the rally, urge your co-workers to take a lunch break and join us, and definitely feel free to bring the kids -- after all, the future of our democracy is at stake. We’ll have water on hand at the rally, but we also encourage you to bring your own.

Learn more about the rally here: http://bit.ly/iAGgZ9

Respect & Protect The Vote Rally
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 ● 11:00 AM
NC General Assembly Building
16 W. Jones St. ● Raleigh, NC

Transportation help available from Charlotte, Greenville and the Triad. Car pools leaving from Durham and Chapel Hill

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Wouldn't miss it!

Submitted by Jake Gellar-Goad on Wed, 07/13/2011 - 9:21am.

See y'all there!

it was great to see you there!

Submitted by KatyMunger on Wed, 07/13/2011 - 3:08pm.

Lord, Jake -- it was HOTTER than Billy Blue Blazes out there. But great to see so many people. Will post pics soon after a day or two recovering in the air conditioning...

Katy Munger,
Progress North Carolina
www.progressnc.org

Lead, follow or get out of the way....

Great job with the flag

Submitted by Jake Gellar-Goad on Wed, 07/13/2011 - 4:10pm.

it was great idea/backdrop for the rally!

Pictures from the rally!

Submitted by Jake Gellar-Goad on Wed, 07/13/2011 - 4:09pm.

Respect Our Vote Rally in Raleigh to oppose measures like ending same day registration, reducing early voting, ending pre-registration for teenagers who want to sign up to vote, and all the other measures designed to make voting harder. We had members from Democracy NC, the legislature, NAACP, the League of Women Voters, and many others forming this respect our vote rally. We rallied outside, then the group split up, half going to Berger's office, half to Tillis, to deliver petitions, then to the senate chambers for a silent protest. Americans For Prosperity also showed up for the very end part (I managed to a snap a shot of their group too - forgot the camera so I got less pics than I might have since I was relying on my new phone).

Might as well

Submitted by Jake Gellar-Goad on Wed, 07/13/2011 - 5:28pm.

throw in a link to my letter to the editor on these issues too:

http://www.heraldsun.com/pages/full_story/push?article-There-s+Nothing+W...

Some new pics of the Rally:

Submitted by KatyMunger on Thu, 07/14/2011 - 4:03pm.

We have a whole photo gallery up if any of you want to see what you missed. It's at http://www.flickr.com/photos/democracy-nc/5937755458/in/photostream.

I'll contain myself to a couple of greatest greatest hits. First up is Jake Geller-Goad himself, at right. Jake, the gentlemen at left is... ?

Next comes a very lovely young lady, who just happens to be my 13-year old daughter, Zuzu. Contrary to what it looks like, she is indeed wearing clothing behind that sign, and not a "cigars, cigarettes?" outfit like it appears either...

And finally, a favorite moment of mine from the rally: Melissa Price of NCVCE was hosting a visiting delegation from South Korea for the day and they wanted to come down to the General Assembly and see American democracy at work. They were the loveliest people you can imagine. The one woman in the group gave me a big hug and said, "We wanted to come down and support you in protecting your democracy." I love this photo because of Melissa's Scarlett O'Haraesque position in the photo and the smiles on their faces -- their interest and enthusiasm really added to the rally.

Katy Munger,
Progress North Carolina
www.progressnc.org

Lead, follow or get out of the way....

The person beside me

Submitted by Jake Gellar-Goad on Thu, 07/14/2011 - 5:23pm.

was my husband Ted Gellar-Goad. We also made the N&O along with our other companion for the event, Michelle Kleinschmidt-Hoover, and several other rallyers on our way in after the outside part of the event had finished:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/07/13/1342024/competing-protests-at-leg...

Attendees of a Democracy N.C. rally enter the Legislative Bldg. in Raleigh N.C. on July 13, 2011. They presented petitions to the offices of House Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate Pro-Tem Phil Berger.

Thanks for the link...

Submitted by KatyMunger on Thu, 07/14/2011 - 8:41pm.

... to the N&O photo coverage, Jake -- I had not seen it. Is it just me or does Tillis's secretary look like she'd rather be sticking chopsticks in her eyes than being polite to us? I guess with the N&O photographer there, she had no choice. Or maybe all the bad press for calling Security on those little kids with Moms Rising has made his office more accommodating?

How nice to finally meet Ted!

For those of you interested in the South Korean delegation that was there, it turns out they are democracy advocates in their country, working for various versions of South Korean Dem NC's. Several went to jail for their work, one of them for three years. Makes massive overtime during election season seem like nothing, eh?

Katy Munger,
Progress North Carolina
www.progressnc.org

Lead, follow or get out of the way....

All the cool people come to our protests

Submitted by TrueMeckDem on Thu, 07/14/2011 - 9:31pm.

Notice any difference in the crowds? Old, white people in one group. Multi cultural, multi racial, and multi generational in the other group. Guess which one represents the true make up of NC?

Dang, I love being chair of the board of Democracy NC, all the cool people come to our protests

But wait, there's more

Submitted by gregflynn on Thu, 07/14/2011 - 10:01pm.

More AFP Photos

Submitted by Jake Gellar-Goad on Fri, 07/15/2011 - 12:22am.

from the N&O

source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/07/13/1342024/dueling-protests-at-legis...

And another of the Respect Our Vote rally:

Eau Flambe

Submitted by gregflynn on Fri, 07/15/2011 - 8:55am.

How ironic that the diagram of the hydrologic cycle is on the wall behind Dallas' head. You can draw them a picture and they still don't get it, and I doubt that tasting chemicals or swimming in oily water will be a clue either.