The protests

06/04/20 • 62 min

Last Saturday, South Carolinians took the streets, joining protesters across the U.S. and world who are — again — calling for the killings to stop.
The protests were sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed at the hands of police in Minneapolis. But they're also the product of a gross lack of change.
That frustration came through over the weekend when thousands gathered for protests in Charleston and Columbia. Every day since, protesters have marched in both cities and in other parts of the state.
We talked with reporters Greg Yee and Sara Coello who cover breaking news and photographer Gavin McIntrye. All three of them have been reporting from these protests.
We asked them what they saw, what protesters have said about why they're in the streets and how the community has reacted to the police's tactics.
McIntyre, who photographed protests in the state's capital over the weekend, described the images of protesters that stuck in his mind. Coello spoke about what she saw during Saturday's march in downtown Charleston, which ended in a very different way than how it began.
And Yee recalled the story of another African American man whose name has been chanted by protesters: Walter Scott, who was shot and killed by a North Charleston police officer in 2015.
We also spoke with 23-year-old Givionne “Gee” Jordan Jr., who was the subject of a now-viral video on social media that showed him being arrested by police in Marion Square during a peaceful act of protest. We've shared the full interview with Jordan, which can be found here.

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SPECIAL: Full interview with Gee Jordan on his arrest

Images and videos from protests against racism and police brutality have been filling our news feeds and social media pages for days now.
It can be overwhelming to scroll through it all — and much more overwhelming, and sometimes dangerous, for the protesters who are actually on the streets — but sometimes one moment cuts through it.
That was the case for video that was captured during a protest in Charleston's Marion Square on Sunday, which has caught the attention of millions of viewers.
It shows 23-year-old Givionne “Gee” Jordan kneeling before a line of police officers as other protesters stood or knelt around him. In that overwhelming moment, he wanted to pause and project a sense of peace and unity.
“I am not your enemy,” he said to police. “All of you are my family.”
Moments later, he was arrested.
We spoke with Jordan about his experience that day, why he came to stand with protesters in Marion Square and the difference he wanted to make with his words. Listen to the full interview below.

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Coronavirus spikes in SC

When we recorded this episode, the seven-day moving average of coronavirus cases in South Carolina had hit a new high for 11 days in a row.
Then, after new case totals were released later in the afternoon, Tuesday became the 12th consecutive day with a record seven-day average.
Coronavirus cases are climbing, and with nearly all state-mandated restrictions lifted and no second wave of shutdowns anticipated, it's going to be up to South Carolinians to take actions to slow the virus's spread.
Health experts in the state are urging people to wear masks and practice social distancing. Based on some estimates, South Carolina hasn't done too well at keeping its distance up to this point, and mask usage has been inconsistent.
We checked back in with health editor Lauren Sausser and health and business reporter Mary Katherine Wildeman to talk about why coronavirus case numbers are rising, which South Carolina county has emerged as a hotspot and why the increase can't be explained by increased testing.