ASHEBORO, N.C. (ACME NEWS) — A crowd of roughly 150 people gathered Saturday afternoon along Salisbury Street in front of the Randolph County Courthouse as part of nationwide ‘No Kings’ protest.
From 2 to 4 p.m., participants lined the sidewalks at Salisbury and N. Cox streets, waving flags and holding signs that criticized what they described as executive overreach and erosion of constitutional rights.
“Everybody out here is here because we care about America,” said Jill Painter, who organized the Asheboro event. “We believe in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights — all the amendments — and we see this current administration tearing all that down. Even when judges tell them to stop, they keep doing it.”
Painter said the local turnout exceeded expectations thanks to outreach through the grassroots network Indivisible and NoKings.org, which helped spread word beyond social media.
“I think it’s a great turnout,” she said. “Not everyone is on Facebook, so this really helped reach people from different backgrounds.”
Painter said the group’s focus was on unity and civic engagement; “I hate the division going on in this country. I wish people would look around, talk to others, see what’s happening, and not just depend on Fox News or OAN for all their news.”
The demonstration remained peaceful. Police reported no arrests. A small group of two or three counter-protesters stood nearby, including one person holding a Trump sign and another openly carrying a firearm.
Painter said organizers discourage any weapons at their events. “Our official stance is not to bring any weapons or anything illegal,” she said. “We’re not out here to get into a debate or a fight — just to celebrate the freedoms we have and let people know they’re not alone.”
The rally was one of several held the same day in cities across the country, including locally in Greensboro and Charollete.
Photos from the scene
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