More than 120 attend Black Mountain protests marking one-year anniversary

More than 120 protesters gathered at Black Mountain Town Square on Feb. 16, 2026 to mark the one-year anniversary of weekly demonstrations that have been held in the town square for a year. The anniversary event was documented in a photo-gallery that captured signs, speakers and the crowd of more than 120 attendees.

Photographic coverage of the Feb. 16 gathering showed speakers and signage on the gazebo and surrounding sidewalks of the town square, with multiple photo captions repeating the attendance figure and date. The photo-gallery language noted the continuity of the weekly demonstration and presented named participants alongside images of the crowd.

Participants cited a range of motivations and priorities. Martha Baldwin said the weekly protests in Black Mountain have been going on despite weather events, and identified her top concerns as "women's rights and ICE." Diana Mayes said Feb. 16 she protests for the future of the country. Photography captions identified the participants while showing them holding signs and listening to speakers.

Voices at the anniversary included younger and longstanding attendees. The coverage identified 16-year-old Noah Combs, saying "for 16-year-old Noah Combs, protesting is how he feels he can make a difference." Shanti McKinnie was identified in captions as saying she "comes to the protests for those who can't." Debralee Williams told the photo team she would like to see President Donald Trump impeached 'now.'

The reporting provided no names of organizers or sponsoring groups, and did not list specific speakers beyond the participants named in captions. The coverage also did not report any arrests, law enforcement action, permits or counter-protests; no permit or police presence was described in the photo-gallery material.

Key details remain unreported in the coverage and present follow-up opportunities: the precise start date for the weekly demonstrations, formal identification of organizers or sponsoring groups, a complete list of speakers at the Feb. 16 event, and an official attendance count from event organizers or local authorities. The photo-gallery establishes that more than 120 people assembled in Black Mountain Town Square on Feb. 16 and that the weekly protests have persisted for a year, but questions about organizers, logistics and next steps were not answered in the published captions.