‘We should have the choice’: Reopen NC group demonstrates downtown

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — While some local restrictions expire at 5pm on Wednesday, some still remain.

The Reopen NC group took to the streets of Downtown Wilmington to renew their call to reopen the state.

“Someone please tell Roy Cooper that I don’t need him to protect me from me,” Kevin Whiteman said.

Protesters say it’s past time to begin reopening the state.

“People oughta be accountable for their own health and well-being and not quarantine everybody, especially the people who aren’t at risk,” David Perry said.

Perry says we should be allowed to make our own decisions, responsibly.

“People can make their own choices, businesses can open while still having safe social distancing within their establishments,” he said.

Business owner and landlord Hunter Ford says he is seeing his tenants suffer.

“I think the governor has over-reached and it’s disappointing to see small businesses have hurt the most,” Ford said.

He says it isn’t fair for elected officials to decide what an essential business is.

“At the beginning of the governor’s orders you could walk into a Walmart or a Home Depot and there would be 500 people in there,” he said. “There were lines at checkout with 2 feet apart and nobody was staying at home. And it’s not fair for the governor to deem what is and what is not essential. The same thing with our county leaders.”

For says once so-called non-essential businesses are allowed to reopen he doesn’t think there will be problems.

“We can police ourselves. When you own a bar or a restaurant you’re bound by the health department. We know how to do things the right way.”

But one girl says we are facing a major problem right now.

“It’s very important for the schools to open back up so that kids can get education at this time because without it they are going to have to learn things all over again,” Emma Naef said.

Naef is 14-years-old. She says she’s been home-schooled her entire life.

“We have the amazing blessing to be able to buy education and my mom is such a great teacher,” Naef said. “She’s taught me everything.”

But she knows not everyone has the resources to learn from home.

“So many people since the schools are closed down they don’t have access to internet or access to the books they have in school,” she said. “And their parents might not be able to teach them.”

She says people should have the choice to stay at home or go to work or school.

“If you want to stay home, if you’re high risk I suggest you do stay home but I think we should have the choice to be able to go out and do what we need to do and make money and educate us and our children because it’s really an important thing to do,” Naef said.