“Don't be in denial. Police misconduct is nothing new, but the technology we have to capture it is. Nearly everyone is now equipped with a smartphone with a camera, so these incidents are more readily caught on film."

Police Killing Of George Floyd In Minneapolis Spawns Protest Across Country

Hundreds of people gathered in Wilmington on Saturday to protest the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. The protest was spirited and heartfelt, despite heavy rain. Protest Organizer Sonya Bennetone Patrick commented “It touched my heart to see the people come out and the love and spirit of the community today. It shows there’s hope for this nation and this community.”

A second protest announced starting a 6 pm on Sunday turned violent. NAACP President Deborah Dicks Maxwell said that Black Lives Matter and New Hanover NAACP were not involved in the Sunday night protest and warned that the organizers of the protest declined to identify themselves. As darkness approached, the crowd swelled and individuals began throwing water bottles and rocks and fireworks. Around 8 pm police began to use "inert" gas to disperse the crowd. A group of police "took a knee" apparently to show solidarity in opposition to police brutality. Several individuals in the crowd reportedly carried guns. Downtown businesses were vandalized and a window on a police car was smashed. Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo announced a curfew from 9:30 pm until 6 am, and 8 people were arrested and charged with failure to disperse. Two were also charged with inciting a riot.

Elsewhere, protests also turned violent. In Charlotte, protests on Saturday began peacefully, with cooperation between protestors and police, but tensions rose after a small number of provocateurs menaced police officers and broke windows on police cars. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police called in officers in full protective gear. In violent protests lasting all day and into the evening, there were at least 13 arrests. In Raleigh, looters left a trail of destruction following a peaceful demonstration at the Wake County Courthouse. Five officers in Raleigh were injured.

The protests stemmed from an arrest captured on video, in which George Floyd died after an officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes. Floyd was handcuffed and out-numbered and complained that he was unable to breathe. The officer, Derek Chauvin, was charged Friday with third-degree murder and manslaughter. The tactics leading to Floyd's death have been condemned by political leaders and police chiefs across the Nation.

Want to reduce the influence of racists in our government? Vote them out of office.

Governor Cooper Determined to Keep NC Safe Despite Trump Threats

This week, President Trump tweeted threats that he would pull the planned August 24 Republican National Convention from Charlotte if Governor Roy Cooper would not guarantee the Republicans could pack the NBA arena in Charlotte to capacity despite the ongoing pandemic. Cooper's office said in a statement Monday that "state health officials are working with the RNC and will review its plans as they make decisions about how to hold the convention in Charlotte. North Carolina is relying on data and science to protect our state's public health and safety." Cooper's comments came as Mecklenberg County set new records for COVID-19 infections.

Last week saw the country reach a tragic milestone as coronavirus deaths topped 100,000. Here in New Hanover County, a fifth person died from complications of the virus on Thursday, on the same day that New Hanover saw its biggest one-day increase in COVID-19 cases, according to the Star News.

As Trump takes time off to golf and push for a recklessly quick reopening of the economy, virus hotspots continue to pop up across the country. The North Carolina Democratic Party points out:

Despite having less than 5% of the world’s population, our country now has almost 30% of the world’s confirmed cases and deaths.
This news comes as North Carolina reached 26,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and 737 deaths. Our state has already doubled testing to between 8,000 and 14,000 tests a day in preparation of our beginning of Phase 2.
Trump continues to dish insults and threats instead of aid and support to the governor. Trump spent his Memorial Day weekend attacking Governor Cooper for his statement that the Republican National Convention may have to limit attendance at the Convention to protect public health.

Bipartisan Election Bill Advances To NC Senate

The bipartisan bill designed to facilitate this Fall's election passed the NC House of Representatives on Thursday by a margin of 116 to 3. The bill includes $4.5 million in matching funds to make the state eligible for $22 million in much-needed Federal funds to offset the increased cost of the election, In addition, the bill will also:

Allow vote by mail applications to be submitted by email or fax;
Provide for tracking of absentee ballot applications so voters can determine whether their application was received and approved by the Board of Elections; and
Reduce the witness requirement from two witnesses to one.

Senator Harper Peterson predicted that the bill would pass easily in the Senate due to bipartisan support, saying "the bill makes voting by mail easier, which is important because it will make the election safer for everyone." It is expected to come to a vote Wednesday night or Thursday.

Although most of the changes in the bill were welcomed by Democrats, one disappointment was a provision that will reinstate Voter ID requirements in the event that preliminary injunctions against the requirements are dissolved by the courts before the election. Other disappointments were the failure to include prepaid postage on absentee ballots, and to require that ballot applications be sent to all voters.

Volunteers Sought for Ongoing COVID-19 Virtual Phone Bank

Are you worried about the consequences of 4 more years of awful leadership in our highest elected office? One of our most urgent priorities now is to ensure that Democratic voters are able to vote safely in November.

We may not be able to knock doors, but we can do it virtually! We want to reach out to our fellow Democrats by phone to check-in and ask how they are doing and to help them apply early for an absentee ballot for the Nov. 3 election. We want every possible vote to be counted, and to make that happen we need to start NOW!

We Need:

Phone knockers to call people. All you need is a computer or tablet and a phone in the safety of your own home and on your own schedule!
Data captains to pull lists of those who need help getting their absentee ballot request form.
Fullfilment volunteers to mail or drop request forms at voters’ doors.

Contact your Precinct Chair or email Susanne Werner, [email protected] to get connected to this critical effort. Click here for contact information for your Precinct Chair.

Do You Have Your Absentee Ballot Yet?

This November's national election may be the most critical of our lifetimes, and the coronavirus pandemic may make voting in person unsafe. It is essential that voters take action now to avoid overwhelming the Board of Elections with requests for mail-in ballots close to the deadline.

Take action today! Apply now for an absentee by mail ballot.

EVENTS

NHCDP Town Hall With All 5 Court of Appeals Candidates -- June 1

When: Monday June 1, 7:00 p.m.

Where: Zoom

Town Hall for all five Democratic Court of Appeals candidates: Patricia Shields, Gray Styers, Chris Brook, Reuben Young and Lora Cubbage. As of Sunday afternoon we had 82 registrants!

Please click here to register in advance for this meeting.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Nourish NC Food Drive Drop Off -- June 2

When: Tuesday, June 2, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Where: New Hanover County Democratic Headquarters, 5041 New Center Dr., Wilmington

Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Nourish NC’s backpack program has grown from feeding 1,200 kids to 1,670 kids. They are committed to serving all of these kids through the summer, and beyond. The work they do in our community is invaluable and supporting their efforts will help feed our most vulnerable children in New Hanover. Volunteers will be waiting outside Democratic Headquarters with bins to collect donations. Social distancing rules will be observed.

Nourish NC has several staple items that they are having trouble getting from their suppliers. Please add one or more of the following to your next grocery order: macaroni & cheese (single serving or boxes), canned pasta with meat (Chef Boyardee, ect.), pasta sauce and jelly (preferably in plastic jars). The food you donate will be sorted, packed, and into kid’s hands within just two weeks!

You can also help by ordering items for Nourish NC on their Amazon Wish List. Items will be sent directly to Nourish NC.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1DO3XTK37ZKWR/ref=cm_wl_huc_view

For additional details and to share this information visit: https://electlesliecohen.com/nourish-nc/

State Executive Committee Meeting And State Convention -- June 6

When: SEC Meeting, Saturday June 6, 10:00 a.m.

State Convention, Saturday June 6, 1:00 p.m

Where: Zoom

The 2020 Summer SEC Meeting is on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. – virtual doors open at 9:30AM. Preregistration is required! SEC Members should register by clicking here.

The State Convention will be held at 1 p.m. on the same day. State Convention delegates should preregister for the State Convention here.

NHCDP Virtual Happy Hour With Political Analyst Caroline Tervo -- June 8

When: June 8th, 7 p.m.

Where: Zoom

Caroline Tervo, a New Hanover native and Hoggard High School Graduate will discuss some insights about North Carolina politics she gained when she co-wrote Upending American Politics with her Harvard Professor, Theda Skocpol. The book contains studies of citizen grassroots organizing, state and local party building, and the local effects of federal policy changes. Her solo book chapter, "Why Republicans Went Hard Right In North Carolina" is based on her 2018 senior honors thesis, winner of two college awards. Here's the link for for the meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81469895615?pwd=SkNSMEZ3NDFWbUFRSzZnSkxHdVJKdz09

Preregistration is not required for this event.

If you are unfamiliar with Zoom, we recommend that you begin your efforts to sign in at 6:30. Use a laptop with a web cam or an iPad if you have one. If you need help, we have two volunteers who can help you get in: Jim Fleagle at (919) 426-3355 and Stephanie Fetzer at (704) 309-3918.

NHCDP Town Hall With Four Council of State Candidates -- June 15

When: Monday June 15, 7:00 p.m.

Where: Zoom

Join us for a Town Hall meeting with four Council of State Candidates: Ronnie Chatterji candidate for Treasurer, Wayne Goodwin, candidate for Commissioner of Insurance, Jenna Wadsworth, candidate for Secretary of Agriculture and Jessica Holmes, candidate for Secretary of Labor,

Please click this link to register in advance for this meeting.

You will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the meeting.

NHCDP Town Hall With Josh Stein and Yvonne Holley -- June 22

When: Monday June 22, 7:00 p.m.

Where: Zoom

Virtual Town Hall For Attorney General Josh Stein and Lieutenant Governor candidate Yvonne Holley.

Please register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0uce6uqDwjE9VQzjMz1l8Q9pz-9CjGhCwU

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Virtual Happy Hour With Board of Elections Chair Tom Pollard -- June 29

When: Monday June 29, 7:00 p.m.

Where: Zoom

Join us for a discussion with New Hanover County Board of Elections Chair Tom Pollard about the Board of Elections' plans for a very challenging election this Fall.

Best,

Richard Poole, Chair

News Content by James Cummings

If you have any announcements, comments, questions or concerns regarding this email series, please contact the Editor here.

Paid for by the New Hanover County Democratic Party

Mailing Address:

NHCDP

PO Box 3036

Wilmington, NC 28406

Office Address:

5041 New Centre Drive

Wilmington, NC 28403

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