By Liam Flanagan
In the weeks following President Trump’s inauguration, protests have erupted across the United States, including in North Carolina. On Saturday, February 11, 2025, a relatively small group of around 200 protesters took to the streets of Downtown Winston-Salem, marching around Trade and Liberty Streets in opposition to Trump’s administration and Elon Musk’s appointment as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency. The protest’s comparatively limited turnout left many unaware of its existence or organizing date, though more protests are already in the process of being organized and scheduled.
These protests include the multiple scheduled to take place across North Carolina from Saturday, February 15, through Monday, February 17. The protests were organized in response to the controversial NC State Supreme Court election, after which Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin claimed that removing “unlawful” ballots could shift the outcome in his favor. Griffin, who lost the race by 734 votes, is challenging over 65,000 ballots on account of alleged fraud, the majority of which supported Democratic candidate Allison Riggs. If successful, Griffin’s effort could overturn the recognized election results, granting him the Supreme Court seat.
Griffin's claims have sparked outrage across multiple groups, particularly for his targeting of military ballots that were cast internationally via mail-in votes. Critics argue that his claim is hypocritical, given that Griffin previously voted internationally twice while serving in the military.
Protests will gather in 14 locations across the state, and, within the Triad region, demonstrations have been scheduled to take place in Greensboro, Salisbury, and Charlotte. For more information on the upcoming protests, visit: https://www.commoncause.org/north-carolina/griffin/