North Carolina Police Use Pepper Spray On Protestors During ‘I Am Change’ March

The “I Am Change” march in North Carolina ended with Alamance County sheriff’s deputies pepper spraying and arresting participants.

On Saturday, several people were arrested outside of the Alamance County courthouse after police used pepper spray to thin out the crowd and end the rally, AP News reports.

One protestor, Lindsay Ayling, a graduate student, accused the police of taking extreme measures to intentionally harm protestors and use the spray without having a reason.

“The police were looking for excuses to use pepper spray and arrest members of the crowd,” she said.

Among some of the participants that were pepper-sprayed were a 5-year-old girl and several other children, The News & Observer reports.

The “I Am Change” march was organized by activist Rev. Greg Drumwright and encouraged locals to vote in the upcoming election.

The event was also attended by at least three local politicians, including Democratic school board candidate Seneca Rodgers, the mayor of Burlington Ian Baltutis, and the Democratic candidate for county commissioner Dreama Caldwell.

Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden have both made visits to the state in an effort to win votes ahead of the 2020 US presidential election.

North Carolina is reportedly a key battleground for both candidates to secure their victory in the race for the White House.