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Jun 11, 17

Raleigh, NC: Report-Back from “United Against Racism and Islamophobia”

On June 10th in Raleigh, North Carolina, over two hundred and fifty people rallied and marched to the state capitol in Raleigh today to confront ACT for America, an Islamophobic organization listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, when they gathered to hold a rally as part of today’s nation-wide day of action “against Sharia.”  ACT for America’s founder, Brigitte Gabriel, has stated repeatedly that “every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim” and that Muslims are “a naturalized threat to the civilized people of the world.” The SPLC’s report on ACT can be found here.

Starting at 10 am, Muslims for Social Justice led a rally at Halifax Mall, two blocks from where ACT for America was gathering. Speakers from MSJ, UE150, Movement to End Racism and Islamophobia, Comite de Accion Popular, and others, as well as local artists and musicians denounced the rally, and called upon those present to be part of a broad based, intersectional movement in response to the rising tide of Islamophobia and other forms of far right extremism in America, particularly targeting black and brown folks.

At just after 11:00, a MSJ speaker announced that a plan had been made involving MSJ and arranged with MERI, Redneck Revolt, and the General Defense Committee of the Raleigh-Durham IWW for a group to march to the capitol and confront ACT for America directly with a noise demo, and that anyone who wanted to was invited to join in the action. While just over a dozen people had agreed ahead of time to march to the capitol, over two hundred and fifty people ended up going. Many said later that this was the first time that they had done anything like this. The group that went to confront ACT was multiracial and included a wide range of ages and forms of religious expression, including Muslims fasting for Ramadan who marched in 90+ degree heat.

When the group reached the capitol, it took the street immediately in front of ACT for America and engaged in an hour-long noise demo that effectively prevented ACT for America from being able to continue with their program.  

While the police pushed the march partially onto the sidewalk, the group was able to hold enough of the street to block traffic and thereby deprive ACT for America of an audience. The line was held, in large part, by women dressed in keffiyehs who refused to back down before the police. After making noise for the hour that organizers had originally set as a goal, the march returned to Halifax mall, where it dispersed.

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