Attorney general issues warning to potential protesters in South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has a message to anyone planning protests in the Palmetto State in the wake of violent demonstrations in California.
Wilson said his office is seeing reports of coordinated protests set for this Saturday, which is Flag Day and President Donald Trump’s birthday.
Wilson says violence, vandalism, and any attempts to intimidate or obstruct law enforcement will not be tolerated in the state.
“Let me be clear: if you attack law enforcement, destroy public or private property, or endanger lives in our state, you will be arrested, charged, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Wilson said.
Wilson mentioned ongoing protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids, saying that groups are “organizing efforts that have the potential to disrupt public spaces, and provoke confrontation with law enforcement across the country.”
He praised the Trump Administration’s action to deploy the National Guard, calling it “the right response and one we fully support.”
“We will always defend the right to peacefully protest, but there’s nothing peaceful about arson, assault, and anarchy,” he said. “If you set police cars on fire, throw Molotov cocktails at law enforcement, and loot businesses, you must be held accountable.”
He blamed the California protests on “leadership that excuses lawlessness and undermines law enforcement.”
“When local and state officials won’t act, the federal government must,” he said.
Gov. Henry McMaster, meanwhile, when asked if he would approve the National Guard being called into a similar situation in South Carolina, said that those involved in the state “are quite able to handle these things ourselves.”
“If people want to protest, they want to voice their opinion, that’s fine. But when you start destroying property, scaring people, hurting people, that’s when law enforcement swings into action and ours in this state can swing into action very well and they’re very decisive,” he said. “So I would urge people that want to cause trouble in our state to think twice because this is not the place to cause trouble. You will be held accountable.”
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