NC NAACP to protest GOP senators’ refusal to support Lynch

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — Protesters with the “Moral Monday” movement plan demonstrations at the home-state offices of North Carolina’s US senators to protest their opposition to President Obama’s nominee to be the nation’s next attorney general.

The North Carolina branch of the NAACP says it will hold protests Monday afternoon outside the Raleigh and Charlotte offices of US Sen. Thom Tillis. Protesters will also demonstrate outside the office of US Sen. Richard Burr in Wilmington.

The two Republicans say they will vote against confirming Loretta Lynch over her support for the US Justice Department’s ongoing legal challenge to North Carolina’s GOP-backed voter ID law. Tillis championed the measure when he was the North Carolina House speaker.

Lynch is a Greensboro native who’s now a federal prosecutor in New York.

At the Wilmington demonstration, protesters sang and chanted for equality and justice. The NC NAACP and the Forward Together Moral Movement said they believe the senators are using their power and influence to prevent Lynch from getting the position.

NAACP member, Leeanne Quattrucci, said that movements like this are important. She said it is demonstrations like todays, on Front Street that make changes in Washington.

“Well I’m a firm believer in grassroots movements generally. You know we have to be the change we wish to see. And most of our laws, I’m an attorney, most of our laws have been shaped by political protest, from people actually taking the streets and rallying. And it’s unfortunate that we’ve lost that in our culture. So i do, I believe it’s very important,” said Quattrucci.

We reached out to Burr and his office directed us to a statement released by the Senator on March 17th stating, “Today, we had a thoughtful, thorough conversation with the NC NAACP, during which we discussed United States Attorney Loretta Lynch’s nomination to be Attorney General. While we remain concerned with Ms. Lynch’s stated desire to lead the Department of Justice in the same manner as Eric Holder and will not be supporting her nomination, we are grateful that the group came to Washington to talk about this issue and exchange ideas.”

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