Confederate flag supporters rally at Alabama’s Capitol
Published 6:00 am Sunday, June 28, 2015
- Attendees of a pro-Confederate flag rally hold flags and listen to speakers at the Alabama state capitol building on Saturday, June 27, 2015, in Montgomery, Ala. The rally was held by locals and members of several Southern heritage organizations who oppose the recent removal of Confederate flags from a monument at the capitol honoring Confederate Civil War soldiers. (AP Photo/Ron Harris)
MONTGOMERY — Defenders of the Confederate flag say they fear their heritage is being taken away as state officials move to clear controversial rebel flags from public view in and around Alabama’s Capitol.
Hundreds of supporters arrived Saturday with various Confederate flags to rally around the 88-foot Confederate monument. They were protesting Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley’s decision Wednesday to remove the Confederate flags from the monument.
Bentley unceremoniously ordered four flags taken down from the 1898 monument amid national controversy about whether Confederate symbols should be displayed on state grounds. The governor’s move came after growing unrest over the shooting death of nine black people inside a Charleston, South Carolina, church by a young white man.
Some attendees dressed in Civil War attire while others arrived in motorcycle apparel with Confederate flag patches sewn into vests.
Event organizer Mike Williams says he encourages anyone organizing similar events in southern states to keep rallies “about heritage and not hate.”
