By Ray Rivera | June 1, 2020 at 5:18 PM EDT - Updated June 2 at 8:35 AM
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Authorities have arrested six adults and one juvenile in a protest in North Charleston Monday evening.
It happened in the area of Mall Drive near City Hall where a peaceful protest had begun earlier this afternoon.
Officials with the North Charleston Police Department said following the gathering at City Hall, at 5:40 p.m. the crowd began marching on Montague Avenue from City Hall toward International Boulevard.
“The organizer and protest ‘staff’ were in continuous communication with North Charleston Police staff and they agreed to follow the pedestrian and vehicle laws,” NCPD officials said.
Authorities say the protesters agreed to abide by a 6 p.m. curfew which the City of North Charleston had earlier issued.
“They agreed to finish up by six o’clock and they proceeded up Montague Avenue,” said Assistant NCPD chief Greg Gomes.
Police reported that on the way back to City Hall some of the protesters obstructed the roadway which led to warnings.
A report by police states while the protesters were in the area of Montague Avenue and Arco Lane, the protesters stopped and completely blocked the roadway, resulting in the traffic being impeded in each direction.
Comes said authorities repeatedly asked protesters to get out of the roadway and to stop obstructing traffic.
According to Comes, some of them were not cooperative and seven arrests were made.
“Several individuals, who refused officer’s directions, continued to incite the crowd, and were disrupting traffic were arrested,” NCPD officials said.
“It’s unfortunate, it started out relatively peaceful and we had good communication with the leadership of the group,” Gomes said. "But unfortunately some have decided not to do what they agreed to do and we just can’t allow them to obstruct traffic and break the laws in the city in North Charleston. "
“They didn’t want us in the streets,” one protester said when asked why police made arrests.
Police arrested the following people for disorderly conduct and curfew violations:
- Persephanie Brown, 26-years-old, from Charleston, SC
- Chris Thomas, 26-years-old, from North Charleston, SC
- Abraham Jenkins, 25-years-old, from Charleston, SC
- Karionna Ancrum, 18-years-old, from Columbia, SC
- Antavius Johnson-Drayton, 22-years-old from Charleston, SC
- Britney Kimble, 30-years-old, from Savannah, GA
During the start of the protest at City Hall, police tape was put up to show the designated areas where the protesters could be.
North Charleston police released a statement on Monday night stating that Chief Reggie Burgess spoke on the phone with a local civil rights leader and the event organizer about demonstrating in the area designated for them to conduct their peaceful protest, but the event organizer refused to use the provided space and congregated at another area of the City Hall campus.
The city of North Charleston confirmed Monday afternoon that it would extend a 12-hour curfew beginning at 6 p.m. Monday.
It took effect at the same time a protest hosted by the group Black Lives Matter was set to end.
North Charleston’s curfew will end Tuesday morning at 6 a.m., according to city spokesman Ryan Johnson.
VIDEO: Protesters taken into custody in North Charleston
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