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Demonstrators push for prison, criminal reform in Graham
On Sunday afternoon, Protesters rallied in Graham to demand police and criminal justice reform.
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On Sunday afternoon, Protesters rallied in Graham to demand police and criminal justice reform.
CALL CAN RELEASE MORE INSIGHT INTO THAT SHOOTING. THANK YOU. >>> PROTESTERS TOOK TO THE STREETS IN ALAMANCE COUNTY DEMANDING POLICE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM. THIS COMES A MONTH AFTER THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE USED PEPPER SPRAY ON PROTESTS FOR BLOCKING TRAFFIC. WRAL JOE FISHER IS LIVE IN DOWNTOWN GRAHAM TONIGHT WITH HOW THINGS WENT THIS AFTERNOON. JOE. >> Reporter: JULIAN, THIS MARCH WENT ON FOR MORE THAN THREE HOURS WRAPPING UP RIGHT AROUND 5:00 HERE AT THE COURTHOUSE SQUARE IN DOWNTOWN GRAHAM. THINGS WERE MOSTLY PEACEFUL THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE EVENT. ASIDE FROM A COUPLE OF TIMES WHEN POLICE HAD TO STEP IN JUST TO MAKE SURE TENSIONS BETWEEN PROTESTERS AND THOSE NOT INVOLVED WITH THE PROTESTS DID NOT ESCALATE WHICH DID NOT HAPPEN. WE CAN SHOW YOU VIDEO ABOUT 150 TO 200 PROTESTERS WERE WALKING THE STREETS OF GRAHAM DEMANDING THAT ALAMANCE COUNTY SHERIFF TERRY JOHNSON AND GRAHAM POLICE CHIEF CHRISTIE COLE STEP DOWN. THIS COMES AFTER THE OCTOBER 31st PROTEST IN WHICH THE TWO AGENCIES ARRESTED A COMBINED 23 PEOPLE, MOSTLY FOR BLOCKING TRAFFIC WITHOUT A PERMIT TO DO SO. THE MARCHERS SAY THAT THEY WERE GIVEN VERY LITTLE TIME TO CLEAR THE STREET. TODAY POLICE AND DEPUTIES WALKED ALONGSIDE THE MARCHERS AND EVEN WATCHED FROM A DISTANCE. AGAIN, ONLY STEPPING IN A COUPLE TIMES TO MAKE SURE NOTHING GOT OUT OF CONTROL. THIS GROUP MOVED FROM THE COURTHOUSE TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO THE ALAMANCE COUNTY DETENTION CENTER AND THEN AGAIN ENDED A THE THE COURTHOUSE SQUARE. THAT IS WHERE THE PROTESSERS WERE PROTESTERS WERE MET BY SOME OF THE PEOPLE NOT INVOLVED IN THE PROTEST. WE GOT A CHANCE TO TALK TO SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO SAID THEY SHOWED UP TO MAKE SURE THAT GRAHAM WAS PROTECTED AND NO DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES WERE DAMAGED. >> THINGS CAN AND WILL CHANGE. IT MAY NOT COME TODAY, IT MAY NOT COME NEXT WEEK, BUT I BELIEVE ALL OF OUR EFFORTS AND EVERYTHING HERE DUE TO THE UNFORTUNATE EVENTS ON OCTOBER 31st , GRAHAM HAS NEVER SEEN THE NATIONAL NEWS AND PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE WATCHING GRAHAM AND ALAMANCE COUNTY AS A WHOLE. I BELIEVE BECAUSE OF F THINGS ARE GOING TO START TO CHANGE. >> ALAMANCE COUNTY IS TIRED OF DOING A MARCH MONTH AFTER MONTH AND NOTHING GETTING ACCOMPLISHED. IT'S OUT OF TOWNERS. I'M JUST HERE TO SUPPORT GRAHAM AND MAKE SURE NOTHING HAPPENS. >> Reporter: AND WE DID NOT SEE POLICE OR DEPUTIES MAKE ANY ARRESTS OUT HERE TODAY. THIS MARCH WAS ORGANIZED BY THE ALAMANCE ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE. THAT GROUP SAYS THEY PLAN TO CONTINUE MARCHING UNTIL THEY SEE WHAT THEY CALL MEANINGFUL CHANGE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE