Several thousand protesters gathered Saturday
under the controversial Confederate flag at
South Carolina's state legislature ,demanding
it to be taken down in response to the Charleston
church massare,
Waving placards,chanting "take it down" and
singing "We Shall Over come" the youthful
crowd black and white ,condemned the civil
War saltire as a symbol of lingering racist
sentiment in the American South,
"We can no longer afford to et that flag stand
there "and be a beacon for those who harbor
"bad opinions"said one of the speakers,
95 year old lawyer and activist Sarah Leverette
prompting loud cheers.
Organizers called the event a warms-up" for
what they hope will be an even bigger ant flag
protest,also in front of the colonaded State House
on the fourth of July Holiday,
Online more than 370,000 people as of late
Saturday had put their name to a petition,
Launched by the left -leaning MoveOn-org
activist group,calling for the flag to go.
"Symbol of hate have no place in our government
The Confedarete flag is not a symbol of Southern
pride but rather a symbol of rebellion and racism
it said ..
On the heels of the Charleston shooting 'it's time
to put that symbol of rebellion and racism behind
us and move toward healing and a better United
Sates of America!"
The flag's 24/7 presence,along side a memorial
to Confederate war dead on the lush green Stae
House lawn ,has been a point of friction in
South Carolina for years
AFP
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