Peaceful march turns violent

“Just a reminder it was Peace and Marching together in 2015 that brought the confederate flag down at the state house and the keyword is #Peace! #ICantBreatheSC.” Those were the words of march organizer Lawrence Dishawn Nathaniel yesterday morning before a march and rally protesting police violence against black people, spurred on by the recent killing of George Floyd. The march began around noon at city hall in Columbia, SC and proceeded to the statehouse. After the rally people marched to the police headquarters in the nearby VIsta district.

I encourage everyone to read “From Amazing Grace to burning cop cars: how Columbia spiraled out of control,” by Lucas Duprile additional context and a better understanding of yesterday’s events.

Photos by Sean Rayford

4:13 p.m. - Graphic image has been temporarily removed, while the victim and family take time to heal. More explanation is at the conclusion of the photo story.

*** 4:13 photo footnote

A family member of a victim reached out to me recently with a request concerning a photo from this post. I have temporarily removed it and provided them the following explanation behind my decision.

“As a photojournalist, we are often tasked with weighing the public good vs. the harm that our photos can have on the individuals who appear in them - and the people closest to them. What happened that day, and the resulting images are significantly historic, and were significantly newsworthy. We are living in truly historic times and it's important to have them documented and available to the public.

That being said, I believe I can minimize the harm, by giving y'all time to heal from the experience. The photo story has already served it's purpose in a news role, and it can wait a few months for it's role as a historical document. I will replace it with a note, explaining why it can't be accessed at this time.”

Photojournalism, ProtestsSean RayfordMay 31, 2020protest, columbia sc, south carolina, black lives matter