North Carolina

Civil rights leader convicted of trespassing at legislature

The Rev. Dr. William Barber II, president of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP, addresses the crowd during the annual King Day at the Dome rally at the State House, Monday, January 16, 2012. (Gerry Melendez/The State/MCT via Getty Images)

RALEIGH, N.C. — The civil rights leader who started the "Moral Monday" protest movement in North Carolina has been convicted of trespassing during a 2017 protest at the General Assembly.

[Rev. William Barber arrested during Poor People's Campaign]

News outlets report that the Rev. William Barber was convicted of a misdemeanor charge in a Wake County courtroom Thursday. Barber was charged for not leaving the General Assembly when told to do so, and he demanded a jury trial.

In an email, Barber said he would appeal the verdict.

Barber testified that the Constitution gives him the right to protest in the building. He said he organized a sit-in at the legislative building because Republican leaders wouldn't meet with him.

Barber, a former state NAACP president, is a leader of the revived national Poor People's Campaign.

Associated Press

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