This weekend was one for the record books – Saturday, downtown Salisbury closed to vehicle traffic for the annual Cheerwine Festival, and Sunday, protesters and concerned citizens lined Innes St. on both sides.

So what was being protested?
For starters, the people who live in our state are going to be disproportionately hurt by the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ that the US House decided to pass in the dead of night, and were only able to do so due to deaths in the legislature. Many attendees were directly protesting this.

Additionally, this administration’s reckless diplomatic failures, unsecured Signal chats, illegal immigration policies, senseless anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, attempts to dissolve the Department of Education, inability to maintain a budget for the Department of Homeland Security, support for fascism, anti-veteran stance, stance on worker’s rights, and more were all represented.

Well, that sounds like a lot.
It is a lot! This administration is threatening to cut SNAP benefits, add work requirements to Medicaid to force veterans and retirees to pay more for healthcare, has taken away transgender folks’ access to passports, illegally detained citizens and noncitizens alike without due process, has cut programs that help rural Americans simply for having the word ‘equity’ in the title, and more.

What were protesters chanting?
Defend Democracy/Uphold the Constitution
Show Me What Democracy Looks Like!/THIS is What Democracy Looks Like
No Kings!

So how can I help?
Join the movement. Attend a workshop, join a phonebank, come to a breakfast, and when you’re ready, join a protest. We’ll keep all of the details on our social media and here on our website, so check back often!