Youth leads Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Charleston

Updated: Jun. 4, 2020 at 9:51 PM EDT
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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Dozens of young people came together to call for justice on Thursday in Charleston.

Protesters started at Waterfront Park, then marched to Marion Square before ending up at Hampton Park.

Many of the people were still in college or high school. They gathered to protest police brutality and racism.

Marcus McDonald is one of the organizers of the march and said this was an opportunity to gather young people in hopes of starting a movement.

“We’re out here, and the revolution was always started by the younger folks," McDonald said. "Some of the older people in the black lives movement said we need the young voices. People feel scared, and we shouldn’t feel scared driving on our roads we paid for with our taxpayer money. "

Protesters say the right to march is one that transcends generations.

Brenda Peart says she remembers marching in 2014. She says it’s the same story happening over and over.

“I’ve been talking to 80-year-olds that were marching in the 50′s. That’s what they don’t get. One lady said,'Okay we marched now what?’ I was like you don’t understand, people march for decades and they don’t stop."

For McDonald, he hopes this movement outlasts the march.

“I’m here playing my trombone and my grand dad said he was doing the same thing in Marion Square 40, 50 years ago. I don’t want my grand kids to do that,” McDonald said. “I want it to be like we stood here, the world’s watching, we did our thing and I want us to actually execute and make the legislation behind that.”

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