The Charlotte protests: a first-hand account
Caleb Ecarma, Managing Editor
Uptown Charlotte, N.C. Image: Caleb Ecarma
Camouflage Humvees. Military grade gasmasks. Uniformed medical personal. Soldiers in full combat gear, carrying assault rifles.
While the scene I just described may sound like something out of Afghanistan or Syria, it was actually from right in the Carolinas — and I was there.
Charlotte, N.C. was turned from a hip, modern city, to an urban disaster area after the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott by a police officer.
Fresh spray paint covered a number of buildings in the otherwise beautiful Uptown. Trash was all over the streets. The National Guard stood-by with their rifles out and ready.
I walked next to thousands of protesters who marched the “Queen City” streets. Some held signs saying, “Stop Killing Us,” “Hands Up Don’t Shoot,” and “Say His Name: Keith Lamont Scott.” Others just held their fists in the air, chanting, “No justice! No peace!” Some protesters even decided to take their frustrations out on the police officers overlooking the demonstration, yelling “pig”’ and spitting at them.
However, I personally was not there to protest, show solidarity or provide positive coverage; I was there to see the event for myself and report the truth.
And after seeing the protest for my self, I will say, regardless of personal opinions on the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s clear there are members of the movement advocating for change the right way, and others pursuing more aggressive means — that became perfectly clear to me.
Whenever the march would reach an intersection or temporary stopping point, a disorganized dialogue among the protesters would take place — some trying to keep the group peaceful, others trying to lead the group to the interstate to face off with police.
At one point, the tame protesters failed to keep the group in check and they headed to the interstate. I heard shouts of “Let’s burn it to the ground!” and “we gon’ take our streets back!”
The night reached it’s tipping point when protesters finally stormed I-277 and shut down traffic on the busy road. In response to this, local authorities sent in dozens of police officers in full riot gear. The protesters and cops faced off in the middle of the interstate, with objects being thrown down at the police from atop the road’s overpass.
With riot shields raised and gasmasks on, police marched forward and fired a mixture of tear-gas and pepper spray, forcing the protesters, or rioters, off the interstate.
While the night deescalated from there, it certainly never reached a point of rest. A number of protesters consistently tried to draw a large group back onto the interstate, to resume the skirmishes with police.
I saw constructive dialogue take place between protesters and cops, but I also saw protesters shout “pigs!” at officers standing by. I saw protesters throw water-bottles at police, but I also saw protesters kindly hand police water-bottles to drink. It was a night of back-and-fourths, and it was never clear who was in charge — the peaceful or the hostile.
Even washing the teargas out of my eyes did not make the protesters’ demonstration clear to me — were they pursuing constructive dialogue or were they there to simply riot? Their motive ultimately remained up in the air, as I believe the angry-citizens were as confused as I was about their actions and intent.
