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Civil Rights Leader Rev. William Barber Can Reenter NC Legislature

A North Carolina civil rights leader can now go inside the Legislative Building, two years after he was banned.

WRAL-TV in Raleigh reports that The Rev. William Barber, who organized "Moral Monday" protests and led the state NAACP, had been ordered by a magistrate in 2017 to stay out of the Legislature, after he was charged with second-degree trespassing during a sit-in over health care.

His lawyers said he had a First Amendment right to speak with lawmakers in the people's house. Prosecutors warned that his ban should remain in place during a teachers' rally planned for May 1.

Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway ruled Monday that the state couldn't continue to keep him out.

Barber tweeted afterward, saying "We won & God prevailed."

Copyright 2019 WFAE

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