Supporters of the Moral Monday protests were not alone when they gathered together in May to plan their demonstrations.
An undercover officer had attended two N.C. NAACP demonstration planning meetings, according to a statement released by the Raleigh Police Department.
The planning meetings took place on May 6 and May 13 at the Davie Street Presbyterian Church in Raleigh. The summer’s Moral Monday protests, which are still continuing, led to the arrests of nearly a thousand people for civil disobedience.
Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown said in the statement that the officer, who was not wearing a uniform, only attended public portions of the meetings and was only there with the express purpose to make sure that the department was prepared to handle the logistics of the protest.
She said the department wanted to gauge the potential number of arrestees, so they could arrange for sufficient transportation.
Irv Joyner, a professor of law at North Carolina Central University who is representing several arrestees, said law enforcement officials commonly observe protest planning meetings.
“It is a regular practice for officers to attend such meetings to ensure that they are prepared for any dangers that might arise,” Joyner said. “It’s their job to keep the streets safe.”
Joyner said that the practice was completely legal and that groups such as the N.C. NAACP are often aware it happens.
“Throughout the civil rights movement, we’ve always known that police officials have been at meetings to see what’s being planned,” Joyner said.
