"Moral Monday" movement turns 5 years old
An effort by North Carolina civil rights groups and citizens opposing Republican policies at the North Carolina General Assembly is returning to where it began five years ago.
Movement organizers planned a get-out-the-vote rally late Monday on state government's Halifax Mall in Raleigh.
The mall has been a frequent meeting point for the demonstrators before entering the Legislative Building to perform civil disobedience. Police arrested 17 protesters inside the building on April 29, 2013.
The "Moral Monday" events took off in size and scope, ultimately leading to more than 1,000 arrests.
The Rev. William Barber led the movement as state NAACP president. Current president the Rev. T. Anthony Spearman says Monday's event — a week before the primary — will focus on issues like immigration, voting rights and environmental justice.