08-04-2025
Lowcountry protestors talk about what's next after national hands-off protest
BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WSAV) — Thousands in the Lowcountry came together this weekend to protest President Trump and the current administration.
It was a part of the national hands-off protest. Local organizers said it was one of the largest turnouts yet, but they'll need those numbers to keep fighting and make a difference at the polls in the future.
'I want to be proud of my country again. I'm not proud of my country right now,' said Carter Hoyt, a protest organizer in the City of Beaufort. 'I'm embarrassed by what we're doing to the farmers or to people of color.'
The protests spread across Beaufort, Bluffton, Okatie and Hilton Head Island.
'Our big concern is that decisions are being made, and actions are being taken. And it seems without thought for the ramifications,' said Rita Conrad with the Lowcountry Indivisible group.
Organizers said that the national issues are boiling down locally, increasing the number of Beaufort County residents participating in the protests.
'The point is to do what our representatives won't do. To express our outrage and to say, represent us,' said Hoyt. 'We don't want to be doing this. We're fighting for the country we love. They should be fighting for us.'
Organizers said this area is just a small footprint on a national scale, but they're hoping to at least catch the attention of the state and local representatives.
'We hope that with the volume, or the number of people who showed up, that our senators will hear us and hopefully pay some attention,' said Conrad.' We also want to reassure the courts, even though they are apolitical, we want to reassure them that there are people who will back them up.'
We reached out to the Beaufort County GOP to hear their side on the protests. They declined to comment on the matter.
Hoyt said, no matter if it's one person or 100, they will continue to protest every Monday at 4:00 p.m. in front of Beaufort City Hall.
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