Doing this protest was my stepmother, Estelle Leighton's idea. An amazing woman, she has always fought "city hall," and made this world a much better place!
Contact: North Carolina State AFL-CIO, PO Box 10805, Raleigh, NC 27605
Press Advisory for May 16, 2012
Contact: Jeremy Sprinkle, Communications Director, 919-833-6678,jeremy@aflcionc.org
Raleigh, N.C.– When lawmakers return to town on Wednesday, May 16, North Carolinians outraged and disappointed at actions taken by our General Assembly to enrich the few at the expense of the rest will converge on Bicentennial Mall at 10 A.M. for a cacerolazo – a Pots & Spoons Protest – the first-of-its-kind protest of our out-of-control state legislature.
The Pots & Spoons Protest comes at a critical time for North Carolina. As corporate lobbyists and the right-wing “crazy train” line up to be heard inside the legislative building, we will drown them out with a noise only We the People can muster! Each of us armed with only a pot, a spoon, and a determination not to be ignored, we will stand across the street from the People’s House – our house – and bang our empty pots non-stop for 15 minutes.
Despite election results that disappointed hundreds of thousands of North Carolina voters, we are not going to let our out-of-control legislature off the hook. We will make May 16, 2012 a day to remember in the ongoing struggle for economic and social justice in our state.
What: Pots & Spoons Protest of our Out-of-Control legislature
When: Wednesday, May 16 at 10 A.M.
Where: Bicentennial Mall (across from the legislative building),16 W. Jones St.,Raleigh,NC
Why: Let’s welcome state lawmakers back to Raleigh with a sound they can’t ignore.
Who: AFL-CIO, MoveOn.org, Action NC, Triangle Jobs with Justice, and others
Schedule:
10:00, welcome
10:05, the main event – a 15-min people’s protest
10:20, call to action by MaryBe McMillan
Press availability:
Before the protest begins, MaryBe McMillan and James Andrews of the NC State AFL-CIO will take questions from reporters; rally participants will be available to share what motivated them to participate in such a novel protest.
Photo ops:
1. A hundred or more North Carolinians from all walks of life, assembled between the Capitol and the legislative building, united in their opposition to out-of-control lawmakers using the state against the people, each banging a pot or pan they brought from home non-stop for 15 minutes.
2. Call to action by MaryBe McMillan (2-5 minutes).
Unique recording opportunity:
The sound of a cacerolazo is unmistakable and unforgettable. The 15-minute Pots & Spoons Protest on May 16 will be unlike anything most radio and television viewers have ever heard or witnessed. It will be unlike any protest ever held in our state capital.
About the cacerolazo:
A form of popular protest that originated in Latin America which consists of a group of people creating noise by banging pots, pans, and other utensils to call for attention. In cacerolazos from Chile and Argentina to Iceland, Ireland, Greece, and even Syria, people have come together to challenge power and affect change.
It is time to bring the spirit of the cacerolazo to North Carolina, where our out-of-control state legislature has busied itself since the 2010 election with catering to corporate interests and right-wing ideologues, gutting funding for public education, endangering women’s health care, putting the rights of unmarried couples up for popular vote, and attempting to lock some groups of voters out of the political process.
###
Video: When lawmakers return, let’s welcome them back!
