SC Attorney General’s Office working with federal, state, and local partners to protect law-abiding protesters, police, and property

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – June 1, 2020 - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today that he is working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, state and local law enforcement agencies, and local solicitors, to coordinate the response to the current threats to our community.

“Our priorities are to protect people’s lives and property, and we also want to protect the First Amendment rights of the peaceful protesters who want their voices heard,” Attorney General Alan Wilson said. “For those people who are trying to hijack these protests to instigate violence and destruction, we’ll do everything in our power to hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

As short-term efforts are underway to arrest those who commit violence or vandalism during protests, this effort is looking at a more long-term response. That includes working with our local, state, and federal partners to see if there are organized groups involved in instigating violence or property damage, whether it’s white supremacists, gangs, Antifa or some other group.

“We should stand together in support of a citizen’s or community's right to peacefully protest and voice their anger without fear of being caught up in violence instigated by others. We should all stand together in condemning the violent and destructive actions of those who are exploiting a tragedy so that they can justify vandalism, theft, and absolute lawlessness. There is no justification for destroying or stealing someone else’s property. There is no justification for threatening innocent people and we will not tolerate it,” Attorney General Wilson said.