A-Month-In-Photos May 2020

Last month white people were protesting because they could get a hair cut, this month people are protesting over the killing of George Floyd, and police brutality against the black community, continued today in Columbia. I covered the protest for three days. On the first day, I witness the collapse of societal norms. As peaceful protest turn violent, when buildings were vandalized with spray paint and broken windows, unattended Columbia police cruisers were smashed, and then set fire by a crowd that was at its boiling point.

A day after a crowd organized at the State House and again, marched down Main Street. The meandering procession weaved around downtown streets, as the crowd hit Assembly Street the group broke off into two directions at the Columbia Public Library one heading back towards the statehouse the other marched towards the CPD HQ in the Vista. The later was met by a roadblock aimed at keeping them away. Mere moments after the crowd arrived a faced off with various law enforcement, and department of corrections officers began. As law enforcement advanced on the protesters, tensions rose, no orders to disperse were given, the before rubber bullets, bean bag rounds, and teargas canisters were dispersed into the crowd, and several people were taken into custody. Later that day at the statehouse the protesters were once again met by a show of force, the peaceful demonstrators already riled up from actions earlier, started throwing bottles at the approaching horde, as teargas and rubber bullets once again flew, and more people were taken into custody.

On the third day, temperatures in Columbia had cooled considerably.MayorStephenBenjamin sat and spoke with protestors for nearly about an hour a 9-minute "die-in." Several designated medics were detained during the protest, for at this time unknown reasons. The crowd peaceful disbanded by the 7:45 curfew.

I hope this marks a turning point where society can come together and share in mutual respect for one another. #blacklivesmatter