MORNING HEADLINES | About 500 demonstrators gathered Tuesday afternoon at downtown Charleston’s Hampton Park to protest recent actions taken by the Trump administration in Washington. The protest came just hours before President Donald Trump was to address a joint session of Congress, detailing his first few weeks in office.
“These people have turned out because they want to do something,” Howard Siegel told WCBD. “They realize that the wolf is at the door. Our democracy has been threatened, and if we don’t stand up, nobody will.”
The hour-long demonstration touched on issues from immigration to abortion, spending cuts to civil rights. Protestors carried signs criticizing Trump and the widespread cuts by the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by billionaire Elon Musk, among other messages.
“It’s an unusual moment in our history,” said organizer Tracey Tapp, who also serves as a coordinator for Kiawah for Democracy. “People are scared and angry. We need an opportunity to put that fear and energy into action.”
The protest was part of a national effort promoted by the grassroots 50501 movement that encouraged demonstrations in all 50 states on March 4. In South Carolina, there were gatherings in Columbia, Greenville, Summerville and Myrtle Beach.
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