Buncombe County Democrats holds consecutive weekly demonstrations in Weaverville

WEAVERVILLE, N.C. — Democrats in Buncombe County have continued weekly protests since June 5 in response to what they see as a rise in authoritarianism, and anti-democratic policies since President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. 

Unlike many counties throughout the United States in 2024 where Trump turned them from blue to red, this liberal bastion in a GOP-dominated state had Democratic votes increased by roughly two percentage points compared to the 2020 election.

These demonstrators represent a challenge to national pundits and social commentators quick to paint Appalachia as uniformly conservative, poor, and uneducated. Since Trump’s first presidential win in 2016, an excess of so-called “Trump Country” thought pieces have identified the hilly region as the heart of white, working-class voters fueling a populist, rightward swing across America. 

“We pay attention,” Amy Pletcher, a registered Democrat and Buncombe County resident, said at the 19th demonstration in October. In her view, the region is “far less homogenous” than it tends to be portrayed. Not everyone backs Trump or the Republican Party. “There are plenty here in Southern Appalachia who vote for those who stand for our rights.” 

Their primary aim is to educate.

“People have stopped by and wanted to talk,” said Diane Amos, cluster leader for the North Buncombe County Democrats, one of 11 throughout the greater Asheville area. She said the county’s 80 precincts were restructured around 2016 “so that smaller precincts could benefit from the larger ones.” Her cluster oversees four large and four small precincts. 

“They were on the other side, but we had good discussions,” she continued. “It wasn’t angry, and we quickly realized that they were not getting the facts.” 

Asheville is an urban enclave surrounded by countryfied, mountain towns in Southern Appalachia, like Weaverville, many of which blend rural values with more progressive politics, such as a focus on locally produced goods, sustainable agricultural practices, and mutual aid. 

Going back to the late 1800s, news and popular culture have consistently depicted Appalachians as illiterate, intolerant, and ill-suited for democracy. For instance, the Appalachian scholar J.W. Williamson identified over 400 silent films between 1904 and 1920 that portrayed Appalachians as poor, uneducated hillbillies, among other mountain tropes.

These demonstrators complicate and dispute such oversimplifications of highland communities and culture.

While stationed alongside its main street, a steady stream of cars drove by with motorists honking and waving enthusiastically — or holding their fists high through open windows, presumably in solidarity with the more than 60 demonstrators in good spirits.

Protest organizers say they have been thrilled by the consistent turnout from a town of 4,567. 

Local activists gather by the Weaverville clock every Thursday from 5pm to 6pm, specifically to catch the attention of people driving home from work. [Credit: Amy L. Pletcher]

“We want to try to be examples for everybody that drives by here,” he said. “North Carolina is a purple state, and there are going to be some critical elections coming up.” 

In June, Republican Senator Thom Tillis announced his retirement, and a month later former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, launched his campaign, hoping to swing the balance in the U.S. Senate. The GOP currently holds a 53-47 advantage, including two independent senators, Bernie Sanders (VT) and Angus King (ME), who caucus with the Democrats.

While President Trump’s foreign policy is difficult to pin down, activists, and analysts have struggled to determine whether he’s more hawkish or non-interventionist, voicing their criticism of the American war machine.  

“When people say, ‘Thank you for your service,’ I say, ‘The way that you can thank me for my service is to stop wars,’” Kathleen Kasben, 78, who retired from the Air Force after 20 years, said. “Young men and women are just fodder, and it ruins their whole lives and their family’s lives. It’s ridiculous.” 

Kasben and her husband, Tom Kasben, 81, an Air Force medic during the Vietnam War, have lived in Buncombe County for 36 years. 

“The point we’re trying to make is that we didn’t belong to the Department of War,” he said, echoing his wife, and referencing Trump’s new name for the Department of Defense. “We were doing just the opposite. I feel very strongly about that.”

In addition to protesting, attendees are encouraged to bring donations. A spokesperson with the North Buncombe County Democrats estimates that 250 pounds of food, an SUV full of winter clothes and sleeping bags have been given to the First Baptist Church in Weaverville.

These contributions remain a godsend for families in the region still recovering from Hurricane Helene’s devastation in 2024, further bolstering relief efforts alongside local nonprofits such as the Mountain Aid Project and Hands of Hope. 

“It’s more than just flag waving,” Amos said. “We’re trying to give back to the community. People have really stepped up and been very generous.” 

The group has reportedly been approved for another three-month permit by the Weaverville Police Department.  

“So we may be out there in the snow,” she said. “We’ve never been rained out or taken a day off. It’s really been a good thing for our people to be together and feel better about things.”