Sam Wolfe
Photography

I Can’t Breathe

Perhaps I’m naive. 

I really didn’t expect the George Floyd protest here in Columbia to blow up like it did. I knew there was a chance, as witnessed all around the country, but I didn’t foresee Saturday going a bit off the rails. 

The crowd which marched down Main Street to the State House was impressive. VERY impressive. From there, the numbers began to swell farther. The mood during the subsequent march to the police department definitely changed, and the crowd grew younger. It went from ‘We Shall Overcome’ to more ‘watch out, here we come.’ 

What started out as simply yelling obscenities and flipping-off law enforcement quickly grew to throwing water bottles. Then food. Then rocks. Rocks at the officers, then rocks at patrol cars.

When shots were fired, the orange-clad ‘less lethal’ firearms being carried by officers quickly switched over to firearms with live rounds. No shots were fired by law enforcement, other than rubber or beanbag rounds, as well as smoke grenades in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

By nightfall, several streets were shut down, helicopters with spotlights flew over downtown, and several businesses had windows busted out. 

Here’s to hoping this flashpoint in society dissipates as fast as it appeared. 

(Images taken for Reuters and The State)

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