Last year, I submitted a letter about the protesters in Pritchard Park during Bele Chere — about how I and many festival-goers felt unsafe due to the lack of control over the crowd. I was very pleased to see how the city handled things this year. I don't feel as if we should infringe on protesters' freedoms of speech. However, I liked the choice to put vendors in the area rather than having them congregating all together in Pritchard Park. It felt safe and more like a family-friendly event. Many thanks to the Asheville City Council members.
— K. Bailey
Asheville
