Pro-Palestine protest did not disrupt downtown Asheville, despite city, county closures

ASHEVILLE – What turned out to be a peaceful, pro-Palestine demonstration in Asheville’s Pack Square prompted Buncombe County and Asheville City officials to close its downtown offices early ahead of the event.

The Nov. 9 protest, organized by the Western North Carolina Chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, occurred as part of the international group’s coordinated one-day effort to “Shut it Down for Palestine.”

Organizer Evan Brenan, 22, told the Citizen Times before the Nov. 9 protest that the group wanted to interrupt “business as usual” to call attention to killings of Palestinian people conducted by the Israeli government. The group called for an immediate cease-fire in the war in Israel, severed aid to Israel and to stop military efforts in Gaza, according to its Instagram post.

County and City employees received emails in the middle of the day, informing them of the protest and warning that the demonstration could lead to a march that would disrupt traffic on I-240.

“City leadership is sharing this information with the recognition that this protest could disrupt traffic and, most importantly, raise concerns amongst City staff, especially those who have connections to the conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip,” the city’s email read.

County employees learned in that email that county downtown buildings would close at 2 p.m. City employees learned about city building closures in a separate communication soon afterward. Both levels of government explained that they closed the buildings to protect employees’ safety.

County Manager Avril Pinder and City Manager Debra Campbell made the respective decisions to close the government buildings.

The crowd of young protesters, totaling just more than 160 people, holding signs and chanting “free, free, free Palestine,” stayed in the middle of Pack Square West throughout the event.

They did little to disrupt traffic.

Sarah DeArmon, a 24-year-old organizer for the event who was draped in a Palestinian flag, said the group had no plans to march or disrupt highway traffic. She told the Citizen Times that the group wanted to demonstrate safely. Marching with a small group of people, she explained, was dangerous.

Cody Cogdell, 25, an organizer who wore a kangol hat while leading chants, thought that the local governments’ decisions to close the offices was a sign of the movement’s strength.

“I think it shows the power of the people. It shows the power of the people behind this movement,” he said. “The people stand with Palestine. They can’t get in the way of that. It would be politically suicidal for them to do that.”

Cogdell and DeArmon told the Citizen Times that they advised about the event through Instagram and word of mouth. They started planning for the demonstration three days prior, on Nov. 6.

They also said they were part of a small group of people who staged a walkout at Western Carolina University earlier in the day.

County spokesperson Lillian Govus told the Citizen Times that downtown offices have not been closed due to a protest in the last two years at least. City spokesperson Kim Miller could not find confirmation of the last time downtown city offices closed due to a protest.

Many of the organizers said the closures signified the event’s success.

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There was little police presence at the demonstration. The largest disturbances were cars honking as they drove by, recognizing the protesters by laying on their horns. Three drones flew overhead throughout the gathering.

The Citizen Times asked Asheville Police Department if it controlled the flying surveillance contraptions.

Asheville’s protest followed pro-Palestine demonstrations held in New York, Paris, London and Washington, D.C., over the weekend, on Nov. 4.

Cogdell and DeArmon were part of a group of 13 people who drove to the nation’s capital to attend the event.

A group marched in the streets of Asheville on Nov. 5 for their own pro-Palestine demonstration.

Sarah Honosky contributed to this report.

Mitchell Black covers Buncombe County and health care for the Citizen Times. Email him at mblack@citizentimes.com or follow him on Twitter @MitchABlack. Please help support local journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville, Buncombe offices close early for pro-Palestine protest