From Greenville to the Lowcountry, South Carolinians gathered by the thousands this weekend to rally against President Donald Trump and his policies as part of the national “No Kings” protest events that took place across the country.
In North Charleston, where more than 7,000 lined the street along Ashley Phosphate Road, protesters said they were drawn to the event by a range of issues, including the Iran war, mass deportation efforts and federal attempts to change state voting rules.
“Our United States started this way,” Charleston organizer Anne Ostapiej said. “We started the states leaving a king behind and fighting a king, and that all came from coming to the streets.”
Crowds of 1,000 or more were recorded in several other towns and cities around the state, including Columbia, Greenville and Bluffton, where Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jermaine Johnson joined the protesters.
“It’s time to stand up and save our democracy,” Johnson said. “People are just unsure about the future of their families and I wanted to show the support of people of South Carolina and let them know I am standing with them to make sure we can lead this state into a better direction.”
In a statement to the Post and Courier, the White House dismissed the protests.
“The only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them,” a spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, national organizers say the effectiveness of the protests will ultimately be measured by the willingness of demonstrators to stay involved in their local communities.
“What we think is actually important are the ways in which these large-scale gatherings fuel ongoing organizing that might look like economic non-cooperation, local mutual aid organizing or legislative advocacy at the state or local level,” said Leah Greenberg, a ‘No Kings’ founder who spoke to the BBC. “It’s all connected if we do it right.”
Saturday’s events were the third set of ‘No Kings’ protest marches held since Trump returned to the White House in January of last year. —Jack O’Toole
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