RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – A North Carolina group supporting law enforcement held an event Saturday in Raleigh.
“They shouldn’t be targeted for the uniform that they wear. Police lives matter just as much as anyone else,” said Celia Croff.
A sea of blue covered the streets of downtown Raleigh. There were shirts reading “blue lives matter” and signs donning supportive messages like “proud police mom.” The group, Back the Blue NC, wanted to make clear it stands with law enforcement.
“People not supporting them, people thinking that they’re all bad people, so it’s time that the community comes out and shows our law enforcement and first responders the support that they need and deserve,” Croff said.
Added Lindsay LiCausi: “As a former law enforcement officer, I can only imagine how low morale must be for those officers and their family at home.”
LiCausi started the group on Facebook. More than 40,000 people joined in the span of a month. Their objective is to spread the message “blue lives matter.”
“They put on a badge and go out with a target on their back everyday to work. We need to let them know that there are people that support them and want to thank them for their service,” said Gadi Adelman, chairman of Back the Blue NC.
Croff and others at the rally believe calls to defund police would be moving in the wrong direction.
“I definitely think that the police should not be defunded. I think, if anything, they need to be funded more,” she said.
Organizers said they’re planning a rally in Charlotte for September. They hope to hold more across North Carolina.