Images and video spread like wildfire on social media after a dramatic clash between demonstrators and police at City Hall on the previous night and passions were running high among protesters once more. Despite warnings from state agencies and police the new restrictions at Lee Circle were not enforced on Monday as expected. Plenty of police were observed staging nearby and some units were positioned as if a crackdown on the protesters could occur at any moment. Some speculated that the torrential rains, diminished crowds and ultimately the bigger clash brewing at city hall led law enforcement not to engage at the Lee Monument.
Whatever the reasons for lack of enforcement demonstrators remained concerned and some outright paranoid that police would aggressively take over the grounds of the state owned monument at sunset. A flyer promoting an evening occupation at Lee Circle circulated on social media stating that "We will be occupying and protecting our right to free speech at night." Further adding "Bring full protection, water, and supplies."
Crowds began occupying the circle around 6 PM slowly building up to several hundred demonstrators by 8 PM. Throughout the evening the crowd engaged in chants, speeches and other forms of protest within the grounds of the state owned monument.
Just after 8 PM a pickup truck carrying Trump & Gadsden flags arrived at the monument from the east. Speakers at the protest urged participants not to engage with the truck driver however those directives proved insufficient to discourage the motivated crowd members. Some individuals in the crowd reached into the bed of the truck and grabbed the flags they disapproved of and passed them towards the inside of the circle. After having their flags confiscated the driver of the truck departed the scene. Shortly afterwards an accelerant was poured on the cloth flags and they were set ablaze.
With the sun setting it was estimated that about 400-500 people now occupied the monument grounds and with police staging nearby on West Broad Street many rumors circulated the crowds that enforcement of restrictions could be coming at any moment. Around 9:30 one such rumor spurred militant demonstrators with shields to gear up for conflict as they aligned to face what they expected would soon be a police advance. Thankfully no such confrontation would occur and cooler heads eventually prevailed.
Throughout this time a Facebook livestreamer on the ground had been walking around the Lee monument area in anticipation of the conflict. Generally streamers are frowned upon by activists since the video captured could be used by law enforcement. Further this individual was not recognized or trusted by the influential members of the crowd who deemed him a threat. Around 10:00 PM this individual was aggressively chased out of the property, pursued by demonstrators and threatened with physical violence if he failed to comply with their demands.
Through the remainder of the evening not a lot transpired on the Robert E. Lee monument grounds. Protesters engaged in chants and listened to speeches as hour after hour ticked by on the clock and no police appeared anywhere near the monument. With each uneventful hour passing the crowd thinned from hundreds to less than a hundred leaving only the most motivated and passionate demonstrators to secure the circle.
Seeing an opportunity a task force of police arrived at 2:30 AM and declared an unlawful assembly on the remaining protesters at Lee Circle. By 2:50 AM police had dispatched the demonstrators from the grounds of the statue and established a perimeter. Angry demonstrators displaced from the area were forced to watch from the city owned medians north and south of the traffic circle on Allen Avenue.
With the grounds secured Department of General Services employees rolled in and began clearing out abandoned property and rubbish that demonstrators had collected inside the circle. People watched as tents were scrapped, couches, picnic tables and a basketball hoop were removed. Initially demonstrators were fearful that the property would be discarded but DGS later issued an advisory that materials could be claimed at a later date.
As the sun rose on the eastern horizon police and DGS staff wrapped up their operations departing from the now empty circle. Only memorials to those slain in police involved homicides would remain in addition to the now iconic Marcus-David Peters sign.
Several protesters remained on site and taunted the departing law enforcement officials however no further incidents would occur.
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