Hundreds gather on Franklin Street in protest of House Bill 2

The road was closed all the way back to Old Chicago

Hundreds of students, faculty and Chapel Hill community members gathered on Franklin Street Tuesday evening to protest the passing of House Bill 2 in North Carolina.

The protest started at the Franklin Street courthouse. At about 6.30pm, the group began to march, chanting, toward the intersection of Franklin Street and Columbia Avenue.

Protesters gathered in a circle, completely stopping traffic and forcing cars to turn around. People took turns with the microphone, telling personal stories of how HB2 would affect them and those they loved.

House Bill 2, which Governor Pat McCrory signed on Wednesday, March 23rd, is set to take effect on April 1st. The controversial bill overrules all current anti-discrimination laws in North Carolina cities and prohibits the passing of new ones.

HB2 also includes a specification for public schools, public colleges and government agencies that states a gendered bathroom may only be used by those who have that gender on their birth certificate.

This prohibits transgender people from using the facilities that coordinate with their gender identity unless they have their birth certificate changed.

The backlash to this bill has been both strong and immediate. Protests like this one have been cropping up around the state, and tonight, there were calls for more.

A police car even got engulfed in the protest

“What Pat McCrory did is beyond not OK,” said one protestor, who said they were a student at Chapel Hill High School. “Shut it down!”

“They want us to go back into the shadows, back into the closets, and we’re not going!” added another protestor, who said they were a member of a group called Southerners Underground.

At one point, the crowd began chanting the names Blake Brockington and Elisha Walker, both of whom were transgender.

Brockington was a transgender man who committed suicide at the age of 18. Walker was a 20-year-old transgender woman who was murdered in 2015. Both lived in North Carolina.

Many protestors carried signs to express their disdain for the bill. “HB2 smells like poo” was written on one.

“Keep your theology out of my biology” said another. A few others were directed at the governor, saying things like: “Really, Pat?” and “Pat McCrory is guilty as hell.”

Photo credit: Malvika Pillai

The protest continued on even as the sun went down, with speakers inviting people to stay as late as they could.

“In light of this, I’m more proud than ever to say that I’m a transgender woman,” one protestor said.

“This [protest] proves to me that I’m not alone,” said another transgender speaker. “We’re all in this together.”

More to follow.

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