| Greenville News
COLOMBIA – It was about freedom of expression, they said, and they spoke.
About 40 people heard people taking turns behind the megaphone on the Statehouse grounds on Sunday afternoon. They listened in silence and huddled near a fence blocking the Capitol steps. On the other side of the barrier, the police were watching.
The meeting took place 11 days after a crowd of protesters attacked the United States Capitol while Congress certified the election results for President-elect Joe Biden.
In South Carolina, Sunday speakers from Georgia, Minnesota and Texas addressed a wide range of issues in about 90 minutes, from the need to support veterans to concerns about social media bans and reporting on violence on the United States Capitol on january 6
Federal officials have warned of armed and potentially violent protests in all 50 state capitals and the US Capitol in the days leading up to the inauguration, according to an internal FBI bulletin obtained by USA Today.
The state house is closed to the public during Wednesday’s presidential inauguration, “just in case,” according to a statement from the South Carolina Department of Public Security.
The state Department of Public Security tweeted on Sunday afternoon that “there were no arrests made at the scene this weekend,” and noted that they are maintaining an enhanced security presence on the Statehouse grounds.
The Columbia City Police Department also increased patrol in the city.
USA Today contributed to this report.