Protesters celebrate encouraging figures from Saturday's referendum

There were 1,051 legitimate online votes, of which 714 voted to remove the monument and 337 voted for the monument to remain. There were also 659 online votes against the Sheriff's Office cooperation with ICE while 347 online votes supported it.

There were a total of 748 tallied in-person ballots. Those in favor of removing the monument totaled 625 compared to 125 who voted against it. There were 630 votes for repealing the ICE agreement and 103 voted to keep it. 

"The commissioners made it clear that if we want democracy and accountability we will have to make it ourselves," said Carey Griffin, one of the speakers at Monday's monument protest. "That's why on Aug. 15 a multiracial and multi-generational coalition of people...planned and organized the Alamance People's Referendum."

The referendum focused on two issues, the presence of the Confederate monument outside the Alamance County Courthouse and the Sheriff's Office dealings with ICE. Griffin said the participation they saw in the Alamance People's Referendum speaks to how these two topics resonate among Alamance voters.

"The results of this referendum make another thing clear," Griffin said. "The people of Alamance are ready to move into the future; a future where anyone and everyone feels safe, welcome, and have the same opportunities to thrive. As those elected to office fail to do their jobs, we will find others who will."

Kristen Powers, a Democratic candidate for the county commission, was one of two candidates who participated in Monday's protest and march. Organizers invited all candidates from all parties to Monday's march.

"My mom and her family are immigrants and I am their success story," Powers said. "Unfortunately here in Alamance County, that American dream is fenced off from our neighbors of color."

Dreama Caldwell, another county commission candidate for the Democratic Party, also participated in Monday's March.

"The courthouse square is a public space, accessible to all, and that statue located there continues to divide our community," Caldwell said, adding that partnering with ICE is bad for the community. "This policy instills fear in our community and in our county and the undocumented community might fall victim to crime and fear reaching out to law enforcement because of this."

Laura Garduno of Siembra, N.C., agrees, adding that the results of the referendum might fall on deaf ears among the current county commission but speaks volumes to Alamance voters.

"The county commissioners have not listened and will not listen," Garduno said. "It is a positive step for the people and for them to take notice."

Thomas May, a counter-protestor at Monday's march, is one of those voters. May said he took part in the referendum and voted in favor of both ICE's and the monument's presence in Alamance.

"The Confederate monument...is more of a memorial to the citizens of Alamance County," May said, later adding that Alamance County's African American residents are included in that.

Drayton, who humored May's numerous interruptions during her talk, said she is confident he and others like him are in the minority.

"People are participating in Democracy," Drayton said. "Even if you don't like what they are saying, they have a right to be heard. And on a rainy...Saturday, they have a million things to do and they chose to come out to share their voice."

This article originally appeared on Times-News: Protesters celebrate encouraging figures from Saturday's referendum