South Carolina Activist Bree Newsome Takes Down Confederate Flag
Ever sinceย Republicanย governor Nikki Haley hadย calledย for the Confederate flag to come down, the authorities were dilly dallying the issue.
The flag is off the pole. #keepitdown pic.twitter.com/M22NvYRYJQ
— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
One such building which was still hoisting the Confederate flag was the statehouse in Columbia.ย ย Early this morning, South Carolina activist Bree Newsome scaled the flagpole outside the statehouse in Columbia where the Confederate battle flag was still flying andย took it down herself
This is Bree. An amazing black woman who climbed the pole and took down the racist flag. pic.twitter.com/DK07mcXRMo
— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
Bree was still about halfway up the more than 30-foot steel flagpole just after dawn Saturday when State Capitol police told her to come down. Instead, she continued up and removed the flag before returning to the ground.
Shortly afterwards Bree and another man who had entered the wrought-iron fence surrounding the flag were arrested triggering a massive trend of #FreeBree and #KeepItDown.ย The Confederate flag, which is supposedly protected by state law, was raised again a short time later.
A rally by flag supporters was scheduled for later Saturday.
Here are some tweets which are trending and calling upon police to #FreeBree
#FreeBree and #FreeBlackWomen stop pushing eurocentric respectability politics on them. Queens can twerk too.
— Gazi Kodzo (@GaziKodzo) June 27, 2015
It makes me so happy that the young lady took down the flag herself in a nonviolent way. She is an example to all. That's power! #FreeBree
— Hollee Brown (@Holleewood92) June 27, 2015
It was no accident that this black man was forced to put the confederate flag back up. ? #FreeBree pic.twitter.com/BUVHu0MQQE
— Bipartisan Report (@Bipartisanism) June 27, 2015
Black women, from the beginning have always been intelligent, courageous, independent, beautiful, absolutely everything! #FreeBree
— Lost-Found Diamond (@QueenKenya20) June 27, 2015
If there's a GoFundme for @BreeNewsome's bail, count me in.https://t.co/RMwqlqYh2p
— Kenn White (@kennwhite) June 27, 2015
Photo: manolialive: #FreeBree #BlackGirlMagic https://t.co/isj6AfuGCE
— Drusilla Bloeme (@DrusillaBloeme) June 27, 2015
