Hundreds protest, hold vigil in Charleston after racist church massacre

Demonstrators in the "March for Black Lives" march through the streets after passing the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina June 20, 2015 three days after a mass shooting left people nine dead during a bible study at the church. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

Demonstrators in the “March for Black Lives” march through the streets after passing the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina June 20, 2015 three days after a mass shooting left people nine dead during a bible study at the church. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Charleston on Saturday to protest against racism and “white terrorism.” The march was held after a vigil for nine black people killed in Wednesday’s church shooting by a 21-year-old white supremacist.


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Protesters chanted “Black lives matter” and “We
can’t take it no more.”
At the end of the event, the
demonstrators hung banners with the names of those killed on the
Daughters of the Confederacy building.

They also held signs that read, “Still We Rise” and
“Stop White Terrorism”.

Reverend Waltrina Middleton, a cousin of the slain Reverend
Middleton-Doctor, was among the protesters.

“My ancestors were trotted through this market, their bodies
on the ground of this Meeting Street, this marketplace. To know
the trail of blood flows from here, it flows straight to Mother
Emmanuel, it breaks my heart,”
she said, as quoted by AP.

People take part in "Black Lives Matter" march around Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, June 20, 2015. (Reuters/Carlo Allegri)

Congregation member Harold Washington spoke about how the
massacre site was treated.

READ
MORE: Dylann Roof ‘manifesto’: Massacre suspect explains why he
‘chose’ Charleston

“They did a good job cleaning it up. There were a few bullet
holes around, but … they cut them out so you don’t see the
actual holes,”
he said.

Also, he expects the first post-shooting service at the church to
be very emotional: “I think it’s gonna be a touching moment –
a lot of crying, hugging.”

A huge crowd, reportedly nearly a mile in length during the
march, later rallied against the presence of the Confederate flag
– viewed by some as symbol of white supremacy and slavery – on
the premises of the South Carolina Statehouse.

People sing hymns outside Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, June 20, 2015. (Reuters/Carlo Allegri)

The event was peaceful, and comes just a few days after nine
people were shot dead at an iconic African American church in
Charleston by 21-year-old Dylann Roof. The self-described
white-supremacist spent an hour sitting in on a Bible study
session before opening fire on worshippers.

Roof has been arrested and charged with nine counts of murder,
and possessing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

Source Article from http://rt.com/usa/268633-charleston-massacre-protest-vigil/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS

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