CPD: Poor People's Campaign assembled in the streets unlawfully after peaceful state house demonstration

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The Columbia Police Department has arrested 16 protestors with the Poor People's Campaign following an unlawful assembly in the streets outside of the state house.

The demonstration began at the state house, which CPD called peaceful, where the group rallied to "force a serious national examination of the enmeshed evils of systemic racism, systemic poverty, ecological devastation and the war economy," according to the Poor People's Campaign Facebook event.

Police say that the protestors in the streets were given three lawful orders, but those orders went ignored, spurring the arrests. The arrested are headed to CPD headquarters for processing.

Police say that Chief William Holbrook and command staff met with organizers early this week and were thanked Monday by the same group for not being the enemy.

CPD says they are continuing to monitor the situation.

WIS News 10 will update this story as more information becomes available.

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