GRAHAM, N.C. — Update 7/12/20: Following Saturday's March for Justice protest, Mayor Jerry Peterman rescinded the Declaration of the State of Emergency initiating the curfew for the city of Graham.
Graham’s Mayor issued the state of emergency Friday ahead of planned protests for the weekend. The state of emergency applies to an area around the courthouse square. City leaders said they will increase security over the weekend. The city has not issued a curfew.
Protest organizers will hold a "March for Justice” event Saturday. The march will begin in Burlington and end with a protest around Graham’s courthouse square. Organizers said they received permission from the North Carolina Department of Transportation to march in the roadways they maintain.
"There's been an overwhelming amount of coordination that has gone into this event," said Reverend Greg Drumwright who is the keynote speaker for the march.
Organizers said the march is about systemic racism and not just the confederate statue.
The path chosen by march organizers follows one from Alamance County history taken by Wyatt Outlaw.
"[He was the] first African American official in Alamance County was marched down North Main Street to the courthouse square, where the confederate monument now stands, and lynched," said Drumwright.
Organizations involved with the march include Justice 4 the Next Generation, Alamance Alliance for Justice and Alamance Agents for Change.
The state of emergency also opens state resources to the city if there is damage or violence.
More details issued by the city concerning the state of emergency:
• Restricted Access: It shall be unlawful to disobey any barriers, warning signs or other structures that restrict vehicular or pedestrian travel due to road closure, detours and/ or hazardous conditions;
• Prohibition Against the Use of Weapons and Substances: It shall be unlawful to use dangerous weapons and substances as those terms are defined in N.C.G.S. 14-288.1 unless permitted or exempted by Section 2- 54(4) of the City of Graham Code of Ordinances or applicable General Statute.
Find out more details, here.
The state of emergency will remain for the city until its rescinded.
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