NORTH CAROLINA — As ReOpen NC protesters gathered Monday for rallies across the state, video surfaced of one of the organizer’s husbands suggesting he is willing to kill and sacrifice his own life for the cause.
According to our news partner WTVD, The video was posted on Facebook Friday, days before the group was set to host rallies in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Wilmington and Asheville.
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“Are we willing to kill people? Are we willing to lay our lives down? We have to say yes,” Adam Smith said in a Facebook Live video.
ReOpen NC has held rallies in cities across the state for several weeks in an effort to pressure lawmakers and Governor Roy Cooper to lift COVID-19 restrictions.
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As of Monday morning, North Carolina was in Phase 2 of reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This means indoor dining at restaurants, pools and personal care services could reopen but not without some changes such as limited capacity and strict safety guidelines.
Later in the video, Adam Smith said, "If you bring force, we’re gonna bring force. If you bring guns, we’re gonna bring guns. If you’re armed with this, we’re gonna be armed with this.”
ReOpen NC organizer Ashley Smith posted the video of her husband on Facebook, but reportedly took it down after several local news outlets picked up it up.
The video was later posted on the ReOpen NC page.
According to WTVD, Ashley Smith is heard in the video saying her husband is an ex-marine and he is “willing to die for all of you too.”
The group has more than 78,000 members on Facebook.
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