The Confederate flag no longer files on South Carolina state grounds.
This morning, a massive crowd gathered around the flag, cheering on its furling while chanting “USA! USA! USA!” South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who publicly supported the removal of the flag, signed the bill to take down the flag on Thursday. Hayley promised the flag would be removed “with dignity.”
The Confederate flag had flown on South Carolina state grounds for more than 50 years.
Here’s the exact moment when the flag came down.
This comes after a racially motivated shooting that left nine worshippers dead at a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina. The shooting sparked a nationwide debate over the flag, with many condemning the flag as a symbol of slavery and racism from the civil war era. Retailers Walmart, Amazon and eBay recently stopped selling Confederate flag-related products.
South Carolina taking down the confederate flag – a signal of good will and healing, and a meaningful step towards a better future.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) July 10, 2015
The flag will now live at the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum, a state-supported museum near the Capitol.
#SouthCarolina State Capitol #ConfederateFlag Removal Ceremony https://t.co/3JPgYz2Ed0
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 10, 2015
Illustration by Max Fleishman
