Don’t park within two blocks of Columbia Police Department, city officials say
Following consecutive days of protests in downtown Columbia that happened near police headquarters, the city is closing that area to parked cars.
“DO NOT park at spaces within a two Block Radius of (Columbia Police Department) Headquarters,” city officials said Sunday night in a news release.
That includes the Lincoln Street Parking Garage at 820 Washington Street, according to the release. That was where two cars were burned by a fire set by protesters on Saturday, Columbia Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins told The State.
Firefighters battled the blazes inside the parking garage after three police cars were set on fire and destroyed during the Saturday protest as it devolved into violence.
On Sunday, protesters in Columbia gathered again and marched through downtown, eventually being met by a line of law enforcement in riot gear blocking a path toward the police department headquarters. Tear gas and rubber bullets were fired at demonstrators and the crowd broke apart.
Following that incident, city officials issued the release prohibiting parking any vehicles near the police department or in the garage until Wednesday.
Parking spaces will still be available at the Park Street Facility, or at any on-street spot with a parking meter — that’s outside the previously mentioned two-block perimeter, according to the release.
“The City of Columbia and Parking Services apologizes for any inconveniences this may cause and appreciates your patience and understanding during this time, your safety is our priority,” officials said.
The protests were in response to the death of a black man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis on Monday while in police custody. Tensions have been raised across the U.S. as Floyd’s death has sparked national outrage since a video showed a police officer kneeling on his neck before he died.
The police, along with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, arrested more than 50 people at the protests, the agencies announced Sunday night.
