CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Protesters accused of taking down the confederate statue, Silent Sam, back in August appeared in court Tuesday morning. They say their charges should be dismissed.

• Among the charges include resisting a public officer, defacing a public statue, and simple assault
• The statue is now in an undisclosed location until UNC decides what to do with it
• "The real problem here is not the folks behind me," said the protesters attorney

This all stems from when some of the protesters tore down the Silent Sam statue during a rally back in late August.

The group's charges also stem from the rallies that followed the statue's toppling.

The 11 protesters held a small rally before and after the court session. They even handed out free breakfast to those who support their cause.

Among the charges include resisting a public officer, defacing a public statue, and simple assault.

The statue is now in an undisclosed location until UNC decides what to do with it. The protesters' attorney said his clients did nothing wrong.

"The real problem here is not the folks behind me," said the protesters attorney. "That symbol of violence is a defense of human enslavement and it sits on our campus."

Several other protesters also have court appearances in the coming days.