“Arrest the President Day”
Photos and words by Sean Rayford
A protestor holds a sign that reads, “Prison for Pedos”
“The government attempted to use immigration enforcement to punish lawful political expression. We acted. We secured their release, we blocked immediate deportation and we reaffirmed something foundational in America. Dissent is not grounds for exile,” said Matthew Butler, from the statehouse steps on Presidents’ Day in Columbia, South Carolina.
Speaking in front of a statue of George Washington, the Advocacy Strategist for the ACLU of South Carolina addressed a small crowd as Angus Godwin and Pamela Godwin led a handful of Trump supporters back to their vehicle. The counter-protesters had been at the statehouse since the “Arrest the President Day Rally,” began around 1pm on Monday, February 16.
Matthew Butler
Wearing a U.S. Border Patrol hat and an INS t-shirt, Angus Godwin walked around the statehouse grounds with an American flag, talking at protestors about locking their doors at night while referencing deportations under former President Obama.
On several occasions, members of law enforcement confronted the counter-protestors as they began engaging back-and-forth with protestors at close range. Police eventually moved barricades to establish boundaries for de-escalation.
Police speak with Angus Godwin
“Troop deployments, federal troops and National Guard units deployed to cities under the pretext of protest control, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC. We filed suit. We demanded transparency, we constrained the scope, and the administration abandoned its effort. Abandoned because the courts held equal protection,” continued Butler as the group prepared to cross Gervais St.
Pamela Godwin was the former Lexington County Republican Chair, before being removed by the state party’s executive committee for a violation of party rules in 2023.
Angus Godwin pled guilty to disorderly conduct after slapping West Columbia councilman Mike Green during a 2021 Christmas Party.
Despite the small protest crowd, there was an unusually large law enforcement presence at Monday’s event. It’s rare to see law enforcement on horseback in Columbia. Most of the time, we see them at parades, football games and rodeos.
Pamela Godwin
