white slaves and a black owner protests
© Twitter/ @TomNovellyLocal news reporter Thomas Novelly released video footage of the dramatic confrontation.
There were furious scenes at a Black Lives Matter protest in Charleston, South Carolina, when a group of liberal white activists enraged their black counterparts with a demonstration that featured white slaves and a black owner.

The ill-judged display took place in Charleston's Marion Square where a group of monument defenders gathered to show their support for a statue of John C. Calhoun, a pro-slavery American vice president.

Unsurprisingly, that gathering attracted a counter-protest in which dozens of Black Lives Matter activists chanted slogans including "George Floyd" and "take it down."

But things got weird when several white Black Lives Matter protesters paraded in front of the monument defenders dressed up as shackled white slaves, whose backs were bloodied from being whipped by the black slave-owner who was driving them on.


The dramatic demonstration saw the black slave driver repeatedly scold the white slaves as they slowly shuffled past the Calhoun statue. "What if the roles were reversed, would you still want the flag up?" one of the group could be heard shouting. They also held signs reading: "What if this was your history?" and "Cracker for sale."

Footage from the scene, captured by local news reporter Thomas Novelly, caught the bitter aftermath of the theatrical performance as black activists scolded the white demonstrators for their antics. "Put that s**t down sister, don't do that! Why you here?" one woman could be heard screaming at another activist.


Those involved in the slave demonstration were reportedly told to leave as a schism erupted between the two groups, despite them being ostensibly on the same side of the issue.

The gathering was broken up when police in riot gear attended the scene. The protests came in the wake of Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg announcing that the Calhoun statue would be taken down.