Protesters line Merrimon Avenue during G20 Finance Track meetings in Asheville
AUG. 29, 2026 – A protester along Merrimon Avenue amid the G20 Finance Track meetings in Asheville. (Photo credit: WLOS Staff)
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) —Protesters are speaking out about the G20 Finance Track meetings in Asheville.
In fact, there’s a series of protests planned for this weekend.
Organizers called Saturday’s event “Line the Streets,” where people stood alongMerrimon Avenue holding signs.
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According to Indivisible Asheville, this event is part of a series of demonstrations from Friday, Aug. 28, through Sunday, Aug. 30, speaking out against the Trump administration’s priorities during the G20 meetings.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a release, “The selection of Historic Asheville reflects the Trump administration’s commitment to the revitalization and resilience of Western North Carolina, which continues to rebuild after the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene.”
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But many out on Saturday say there is much more to be done and believe the administration has not done enough.
“They’ve come here to Asheville partially to proclaim how well they’ve done in helping us recover and we want to help people understand that we’re still recovering and we’re still waiting on a lot of the aid that we need,” Sunrise Movement WNC local policy lead Rachel Cohen said.
NEARLY TWO YEARS AFTER HELENE, ASHEVILLE PROTESTERS SAY RECOVERY UNFINISHED AS G20 MEETS
Cohen says they’re not only protesting G20 organizers’ narrative about the region’s recovery but also the dependency on fossil fuels, which she says is part of the reason for climate crises like Helene.
This story will be updated.
