Raleigh protest organizers give training lessons on how to demonstrate peacefully
Groups of people from all walks of life flocked to to the Governor's Mansion in downtown Raleigh to learn how to prepare for a peaceful protest on Sunday.
Organizers taught self-defense classes, legal training, de-escalation methods and medical and marshal training.
Lauren Howell, who taught the group about radical disobedience, said these skills are vital for the longevity of a community movement like this. "Understanding frustration, anger," Howell said. "Understanding those emotions and feelings and truths as valid, but also understanding that you have to know how to respond to people who are going to agitate you."
After another black man was killed in the hands of a police officer in Atlanta this weekend, protestors said it’s clear there is no end in sight for the charge to end racial injustice. The protest training is to help inform people about their rights and how to protect themselves while marching on the front lines of this fight.
The protesters believed a little progress is being made, but there is more work to be done. That’s why Howell said they’re creating an initiative called “12-by-12” to help families in Raleigh who have lost a loved one to the hands of police to seek justice.
