Hundreds protest Border Patrol at Manolo’s Bakery in Charlotte: ‘Stronger together’
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Border Patrol in Charlotte
U.S. Border Patrol began making rounds in Charlotte on Saturday morning.
This follows recent Border Patrol activity in Chicago that made headlines, with some reports alleging agents violated people’s rights.
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Editor’s note: Manolo’s Bakery reopened on Monday, Nov. 24.
The protest began small. On Monday during the day, a handful of supporters gathered outside Manolo’s Bakery in Charlotte, two days after owner Manuel “Manolo” Betancur told CharlotteFive he would have to close the shop for the first time in 28 years.
With U.S. Border Patrol detaining people around Charlotte, it wasn’t safe for Manolo’s employees or customers, Betancur told us in an emotional video that has since gone viral on Instagram.
Betancur may not have intended to become the face of the resistance forming here in the Queen City, but Charlotte was not about to let his parking lot stay empty.
Monday’s protest at Manolo’s Bakery
On Monday, a woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty sat caged on a patch of grass between the sidewalk and the road in front of the bakery. A couple of musicians played beside her while signs declared: “No Gestapo in Charlotte” and “We ❤️ our Immigrants.”
![Shana Blake of Charlotte, NC dressed as The Lady Liberty protests outside Manolo’s Bakery on Central Avenue on Monday, November 17, 2025. Manolo’s has closed temporarily due to the presence of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents in the city. “Even if [the bakery’s] not open, it’s such a faith effort to have people show up and support,” Blake said.](https://www.charlotteobserver.com/public/latest-news/lrqgxe/picture312956098/alternates/FREE_1140/CLT_BORDER_MONDAY_09.JPG "CLT_BORDER_MONDAY_09.JPG")
When CharlotteFive drove by shortly after 6 p.m., the group had swelled to 20 to 30 protesters.
By 8 p.m., Betancur was outside, wearing his signature “Manolo’s Bakery” black-and-gold ballcap, feeding his supporters slices of cake. The protesters were there for him, and he was there for them.
The crowd continued to grow, with CharlotteFive videographer Alex Cason estimating the attendance at well over 100 by 9 p.m.
C5 caught up with Betancur, who, despite running out of food, was smiling through tired eyes — a visible representation of the emotions from the past few days.
“This is not Los Angeles, this is not Chicago, this is Charlotte, North Carolina — the Queen City,” he said. His emphasis was clear, underscoring the significance of the community’s support.
In the midst of this organic moment of joy, the serious context of the recent detentions remained unavoidable.
Just that morning, the impact was clear: almost 21,000 children missed school in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools system. This figure followed the news that more than 130 people had been detained over two days, a number that would continue to rise throughout the day.
‘We are not alone’
“It’s emotional because hundreds of kids lose their parents during these days. Who knows what’s gonna be happening in the next days? My God, man. We are not alone. We are together,” Betancur said.
“In the future, we are going to see the democracy. There is no space for authoritarian here,” he continued. His statement was immediately punctuated by the arrival of two friends, who greeted him with handshakes and hugs. One was North Carolina State Rep. Brandon Lopez, and the other, City Council member-elect J.D. Mazuera Arias.
Lopez was energized by the turnout.
“I drove past earlier ... like seven minutes ago, and immediately thought: ‘This is what community looks like. This is what a community showing up for each other looks like. It’s a taste of what East Charlotte looks like,” he stated.
“I’m excited to see everybody is out here reminding the federal government, reminding the rest of the city, the state, the country, that that bulls--- that they’re doing? That’s not us, and that doesn’t have to be us. So it’s exciting,” Lopez added.
“I love it. This is community of solidarity,” Mazuera Arias said.
He then described an earlier moment in the evening when police expressed concern about people standing on the median, prompting protesters to peacefully move to the other side of the road. “They can continue really using their freedom to assemble and protest peacefully, because what’s happening in this city is just wrong,” Mazuera Arias said. He and Lopez then disappeared back into the crowd.
‘We have freedom to share love here’
The crowd remained boisterous, fueled by lively music from a speaker. A sign read “Honk if you want to abolish ICE,” and cars obliged every few seconds. Motorcyclists revved their engines and pickups drove by, flying Mexican flags in the truck beds.
Amid the intense noise, Betancur took a moment for quiet reflection.
Though the motorcycles were loud, his voice was clear.
“We have freedom of speech, man,” he said. “All of this is about our freedom. We cannot give up our freedom.
“That’s the most important and sincere fundamental part of our Constitution: Our freedom. You know, if they have freedom to send this hate message, we have freedom to share love here and to raise our voices, to share our pain. I’m just sharing our pain and suffering, my people suffering — our people, suffering. The fear of my kids, the fear of our kids.”
The next day: ‘One nation’
On Tuesday afternoon, the protest continued, but with one addition: As we arrived, Betancur was on his bakery’s roof, hanging an American flag on the front of his shop. “One nation,” he said, touching his hand to his heart, wearing a shirt from his nonprofit that read “Made in America by immigrant hands”.
“I love this country, and I am loyal to this country. This is the place where my kids were born. One nation.”
Manolo’s Bakery
Location: 4405 Central Ave., Charlotte, NC 28205
Instagram: @manolosbakeryclt
Alex Cason contributed reporting.
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This story was originally published November 18, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
