Givionne « Gee » Jordan Jr. was heard on video telling officers: « We gotta stop living in fear. I am not your enemy. You are not my enemy. »
Kneeling in front of a group of at least a dozen police officers at a greenspace in Charleston, South Carolina, on Sunday, Givionne « Gee » Jordan Jr. made one thing clear to the officers holding baton sticks, he was « not their enemy. » Then moments later, two officers handcuffed him and sent him to jail.
In a video circulating on social media, Jordan can be seen and heard pleading with the officers to consider the perspective of the protesters, saying, « We are all people. All of you are my family. »
« I love each and every one of you. I cry at night because I feel your pain…. I feel the pain of black people. I feel the pain of white people. I feel the pain of innocent cops. We’re all scared, » he cried. « We gotta stop living in fear. I am not your enemy. You are not my enemy. »
As he continued to speak, other protesters knelt beside him, placing their hands on Jordan’s back and shoulders in solidarity. The cops appeared to continue clutching their batons, even as Jordan said, « I love you and I respect you. »
« I want to understand all of you, » he said. « I would love to see the best side of everybody here.
