Police near southeastern Charlotte, North Carolina, have arrested eight protesters in defiance of stay-at-home orders who refused to leave a local abortion clinic, WSOCTV reports.

Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police say they responded to a call at the Preferred Women’s Health Center, where about 50 people were protesting. Officers say they asked the protesters to leave because they were violating the stay-at-home order and another order that banned mass gatherings. These orders were issued by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, ABC 11 reports.

Officials say 12 of the protesters refused to leave and were issued citations for violating emergency prohibitions and restrictions. Eight of those people refused to follow the orders and were subsequently arrested, police say. They were charged with violation of emergency prohibitions and restrictions.

Last week, the city of Charlotte received complaints about people protesting at the clinic and disregarding the stay-at-home order.

About 635 cases of COVID-19, the disease associated with coronavirus have been reported in Mecklenberg County, making this the highest count in the state, the North Carolina Department of Health reports.

Watch the report from WSOCTV below: