Monument protesters gather at Durham courthouse to support defendants

Protesters rallied outside the Durham County Courthouse on Tuesday morning as nine of the people charged with toppling a Confederate statue last month in the Bull City made court appearances.

The protesters handed out shirts bearing the words, "Do it like Durham," with a graphic of a statue being pulled down and the Aug. 14 date of the incident.

The rally was organized by the group Defend Durham, which is a network of many other groups, as part of what organizers called the "week of action." In a press release, the organization said the repeal of federal protections for young immigrants will be a focal point of the week and called on people in other cities across the country to hold events in solidarity.

The protesters marched toward Durham Central Park around 10:30 a.m.