GRAHAM, N.C. — Civil rights groups are taking legal action to block the city of Graham from enforcing an ordinance that requires people obtain protest permits from the police chief at least 24 hours beforehand.
On Monday July 6th, the first legal debate will occur in a Greensboro courthouse. A judge will decide on a temporary restraining order that would stop Graham from enforcing its protest permit ordinance until the full hearing can take place.
The Alamance County NAACP and several protesters are named as plaintiffs, represented by The American Civil Liberties Union and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
The lawsuit names several Graham city leaders as defendants, including the mayor, city manager, mayor pro-tem, city council members, and the police chief. It also names Alamance County's sheriff and county manager.