If you were driving down Franklin Street on the afternoon of Friday, January 30th, you may have noticed a crowd gathered on the corner of Franklin and Church Street. Here's what was happening — and why.
The gathering was part of a nationwide day of action called the "National Shutdown," in which Americans across all 50 states were called on to walk out of work, skip school, and stop shopping for the day in protest of federal immigration enforcement operations.
The Chapel Hill protest began around 2:30 p.m. on West Franklin Street. WRAL's Sky 5 helicopter captured aerial footage of the demonstration, which remained peaceful throughout the afternoon. No arrests were reported.
What prompted it
The National Shutdown was organized in response to two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier in January. Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed by an ICE officer on January 7th. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was fatally shot by Customs and Border Protection agents on January 24th while recording their activity on his phone.
A week before the National Shutdown, Minnesota held its own statewide general strike on January 23rd. When the federal government did not meet protesters' demands — and Pretti was killed the following day — organizers escalated to a national call to action for January 30th.
The movement was organized by a coalition including the University of Minnesota Graduate Labor Union, AFSCME Local 3800, and the UMN Black Student Union. In North Carolina, the Party for Socialism and Liberation's NC chapter coordinated local participation, calling on communities to "say ICE out of everywhere."
Local businesses closed in solidarity
Several Triangle-area businesses chose to close for the day. In Chapel Hill and Carrboro, closures included ZenFish Poke Bar, Meantime Coffee on the UNC campus, and Quail Ridge Books. Durham saw a larger wave of closures — Cocoa Cinnamon, the Scrap Exchange, East Durham Sweet Shoppe, and numerous Latino-owned businesses shut their doors for the day.
Other businesses that couldn't afford to close expressed support in different ways. Some offered their spaces as gathering points or posted statements of solidarity while remaining open.
The bigger picture
Hundreds also marched in downtown Durham, and walkouts were held at NC State University's Bell Tower and Durham's CCB Plaza. In Washington, D.C., more than 60 faith leaders were arrested at the Hart Senate Office Building during a related protest of federal immigration policies.
The Chapel Hill demonstration was one of hundreds held simultaneously across the country. Organizers have announced plans for another round of nationwide protests — called "No Kings" — at the end of March.
Photos by Elana Etten, taken in passing on Franklin Street on January 30, 2026.
Sources: WRAL News, Daily Tar Heel, NC Newsline