Men like Dustin Nettleton. Sanford was third on his list of rallies he marched in that day. He traveled from North Raleigh to Apex, then headed south to Lee County.  Nettleton started protesting in high school during the Iraq War in the early 2000s. “I refused to play the Star-Spangled Banner in the marching band from 2004 through 2008.”

Today, he carried the Iranian flag and a sign in protest of the war against the Arab nation that was initiated without a formal declaration of war or specific authorization from Congress.

“I was surprised to see Sanford has a protest,” said Ned, who didn’t share his last name. After leaving Lee County at age 16, Ned returned 15 years later, arriving about two weeks before the rally. This was Ned’s first No Kings protest. “I didn’t expect this.”

Anne Holway and her husband, Matt, attended the Southern Pines rally, joining over 3,000 people in Moore County that morning. They were motivated to attend Sanford’s rally, and once they arrived, they appreciated the offerings.

“There was no rally in Southern Pines, just the march,” shared Matt. “And the signs here are more positive than negative,” added Anne.

“We have grandkids, and we’re horrified at the idea of what we’re leaving them,” Anne said. “We have an opportunity to do something. And getting out here means feeling like you’re not alone.”

Throughout the rally, the Gregg Gelb Jazz Group, blues performer Carter Minor and jazz vocalist Kathy Gelb performed a handful of songs. Thanks to a donation from Sharonda and Jamar Blue, the founders of the Sanford-based Black Pearl Entertainment, the audio equipment was provided free of charge.

Some attendees brought lawn chairs, while others sat on the city benches near the depot. Many stood, signs in hand, tucked under arms, and even overhead.

Between performances and speakers, attendees stopped by tables to gather civic resources.

Since 2007, Jan Tart and Gladys McAuley have made it their mission to get people registered to vote. Their reason for doing it? “Any chance we have to do some good in the community,” they shared, adding that they don’t represent any party or official organization.  

Pointing to a table full of materials from the North Carolina State Board of Elections, they shared how they helped a 16-year-old get pre-registered to vote on that afternoon and assisted others in confirming their address and registration information were up to date.

As more protesters streamed into Depot Park, Williams kicked off the programming.

Speakers included Iliana Santillán, the founder of Brava NC, a progressive Latine advocacy group, and Kayla Wibalda from the North Carolina Association of Educators and a teacher in Lee County. 

Lindsey Knapp spoke to the rally's theme: "Love Forward." Knapp is the owner of Sanford Yoga and Community Center, an attorney with Common Defense, and the executive director of Combat Sexual Assault, a nonprofit supporting service members and veterans who have faced retaliation for reporting assault. A familiar civic presence in Sanford, Knapp has played a significant role in building Sanford’s protest space.

Jason Cain, also representing Common Defense, spoke to attendees about service and sacrifice. Cain is a veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division and U.S. Special Operations Command, where he was stationed at Fort Bragg for his entire 10-year enlistment. He holds three master's degrees from George Washington University, Harvard University and the University of San Francisco.

He addressed events from both Trump administrations, from the January 6th insurrection and what’s characterized by experts as the weaponization of federal law enforcement, strained U.S.-NATO relationships and the deployment of U.S. service members in Iran. 

He concluded with several calls to action, including voting, knocking on doors and speaking to friends and family about politics. “I know it's hard, I know it’s awkward. But you gotta do it,” he said. “You gotta be able to get into these conversations and have them when you can.”

“We’ve always voted, but we haven’t always been politically active, not until 2016,” said Terri Leeman, a Sanford resident. She and her husband, Jerry, moved from Carolina Beach near Wilmington three years ago. They looked for a home in the Triangle and Sandhills areas to be closer to family in Charlotte and Raleigh, and chose Sanford. 

“Things have gotten too divisive. I want to go back to when we talked to each other, and our leaders passed bills that actually helped people,” said Jerry, who identifies as conservative. “We still have some friends who are Republican; we just avoid talking politics.”

“I automatically don’t like people with a MAGA hat, and I don’t like that about me,” added Teri, who is more of a fiscal conservative with moderate social positions. “It’s hard to think that we can have a conversation with them.”

“And we have neighbors that we’ve seen here,” she continued. “We’re pleasantly surprised to see them here. It lets them know they aren’t alone in feeling this way.” 

There were a few first-time No Kings attendees, and in Briauny Adefris’s case, a first protest ever. A junior at North Carolina Central University, she heard about the nationwide day of action from her professor, Dr. Jarvis Hall, just the day before. She’d made a last-minute choice to leave work early to attend.

“Faith tells me to stand up for people facing oppression,” she said, the Palestinian flag waving above her. “It’s disappointing,” she added, speaking about other Christians. “We’re supposed to love thy neighbor.” 

At about 2:45 p.m., organizers started the march. Protesters walked single file on the sidewalks of downtown Sanford, since there wasn’t a permit to march or a police escort. They were greeted with honks and celebratory cheers from some cars. 

The final handful of Sanford marchers crossed the railroad tracks at 3:12 p.m. Williams, carrying her megaphone, was there to greet them, encouraging one last protest chant. 

“Show me what democracy looks like!” she called. An older woman laughed, kicked a leg out as she made her way over the metal rails, escorted across by Maurice, Williams' nephew. 

Two young boys shouted back, waving their bubble wands. “This is what democracy looks like!”

Rally attendees returned to Depot Park, then to their vehicles, smiling and hugging friends as they parted ways.  

“MLK said, freedom is not freely given, it must be demanded by the oppressed,” said Vonda Reives, paraphrasing a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail.

Reives, a healthcare professional with a practice in Robbins, N.C., shared her thoughts following the march. “This created a space for people to have these feelings and frustrations,” she said, adding that she had a falling-out with a decades-long friend over their political disagreements. She didn’t expect her friendship to be revived. “If they still blindly follow someone like [Trump], then I don’t see it happening.”

Adefris, the NCCU student, was one of the last to leave the rally. She walked up to Sandy Hooks, a man who never joined the protest but was present for the duration. Hooks set up giant “you need prayer” signs along the fence on Moore Street, which overlooks Depot Park. 

“I support our leaders and pray for them,” said Hooks, who introduced himself as a pastor but doesn’t have a church; he instead sets up his signs and prays for people who ask him to.  “But I don’t always agree with them.” 

Adefris listened and shared her thoughts with Hooks, who was wading through areas of contention, such as the ongoing alleged genocidal campaigns by Israel in Palestine and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, while finding points of agreement, such as their distrust of legacy media outlets and their news sources being through Facebook, YouTube or Instagram.

“I don’t want my future children, should I be blessed to have them, looking at me saying, ‘You didn’t fight for democracy?’ I don’t want to disappoint them.”

Across North Carolina, local newsrooms are hosting gatherings in coffee shops, libraries, and community spaces.

Here in Sanford, we’ll be gathering at The McSwain Center, 2420 Tramway Rd, Sanford, NC 27330, from 1-3 p.m.

The Sanford event is organized by Bill Horner III, the retired publisher of The Herald and the Chatham News + Record and a former advisory board member of NC Local. The event is supported by Diara J. Townes of Sanford, the program manager for NC Local.

You’ll have the opportunity to grab a free cup of coffee and meet local journalists from the Sanford Herald, Sandhills News, The Rant, WWGP Radio and other local journalists.

Come by, bring a friend, say hello, and be part of the conversation. Check out our Facebook event to learn more and ask questions ahead of the gathering!

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A Nationwide Public Records Project by investigative data journalist Audrey Nielsen.