RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Activists who want the North Carolina government to roll back coronavirus safety regulations on businesses took to the streets again today (Tuesday).
ReOpen NC protesters gathered outside the General Assembly in Raleigh starting at 11 a.m.
According to ABC11, there were around 350 people gathered at the protest at 11:30 a.m. During last week's protest, they estimated the crowd size at 300 people.
Counter-protesters also came out for Tuesday's rally. A group of people dressed in scrubs and wearing medical masks stood across the street from the ReOpen NC protesters. Some ReOpen protesters began shouting and heckling the counter-protesters.
Gov. Roy Cooper was asked about the protests during his Tuesday afternoon coronavirus press briefing.
"I understand that people are eager to ease these restrictions, I know it's frustrating to stay at home so much. A lot of families are hanging by a thread," he said. "The thing we have to put first and foremost is the public health and safety of North Carolinians. We have to make sure things are safe.
"I'm very eager to move into our phases of reopening," Cooper said. "We're going to rely on the science, we're going to rely on the data, and we're going to rely on the facts in order to move forward."
It's thethird such protestin the last few weeks. Tuesday's protest comes as state legislators return to work to debate a $1.4 billion emergency spending plan touted as a way to help small businesses and expand COVID-19 testing andcontact tracing.
An administrator for the ReOpen NC Facebook page said she will be at Tuesday's protest after finishing her 14-day COVID-19 quarantine.
Audrey Whitlocks aid she tested positive for the virusbut has since gotten better. When ABC11 asked whether she attended any of theprevious protests, she said "no comment."
Here's more from our news partner WTVD ABC11: