Activist Bree Newsome takes down Confederate Flag at South Carolina Statehouse

Thumbnail photo via Reuters Media Express/ Adam Anderson Photos

[adventurousken]

A courageous act by a true patriot! Thank you for your service to freedom, Bree!

[badgyrl]

God bless her, she did what she had to do. The ironic thing is a white guy helped her get the flag down and 2 black cops arrested her. I wish black men would stand tf up.

[kallen]

I'm not christian but amen girl! It is about time someone took down that old raggedy symbol of violence.

[Sabiancym]

Next time do it without mentioning Jesus or God.  No need to alienate anyone who also supports removing it.

[PyroMachinima]

This is an issue of South Carolina and only South Carolina, that flag is government speach is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, even if I dont like it. You just cant take that flag down because of what it represents, nor punish those who waive it with pride.

For the record, that flag was never an official CSA flag, the Stars and Bars, Stainless Banner, and blood Stained Banner were.

[powerbrother]

AND IT WE WILL KEEP TAKING IT DOWN UNTIL THE OLD SOUTH DIES.

[DMG]

I'm a Black Mississippi man and I fully support the Dixie flag; should we also remove the USA flag, which was the flag of the government who allowed slavery in the first place? Of course not! The only people who want it removed are brainwashed, uneducated sheep who want to jump on the next bandwagon. The people who want it removed are bigots who hate the South, or Southerners who have been culturally "Northernized". I LOVE my state, my country and my culture. The Southern states are the most welcoming places on earth. Just because I'm Black doesn't mean I have to act like I'm from New York. I have a framed Confederate flag which my granddad owned before me. If someone doesn't like, they can try and come take it.

[worldhistory]

As a historian I think the flag should be held up. It's a rich part of Southern History and the Civil War itself. We honor all veterans who served for including confederates as they were also Americans. For example Soviet Communism is illegal in Russia but Lenin's body is on display for the public. Slavery and Southern ideals no longer have power but, the flag still remains as a symbol of American History.

[punkgrl]

I'm black but I think people should be free to wave a harmless flag around if they want. I also believe that swastikas shouldn't be banned either, regardless of their more modern negative association. Now if you were harassing people or committing vandalism or a hate crime, it'd be a different story, but I always saw the confederate flag as a southern pride thing. It never really bothered me.

[Mavrick_Sturges]

Flag needs to stay up in the face of you racist baiters who want to say any one like my self you support are southern heritage is a racist without getting to know us on a personal level

[cocolve]

I would have toke the confederate flag down and put the American up. "Bail For Bree"

[MrWoodchuckVT]

This forth generation American from French-Canadian descent up here in northern Vermont, the first Republic and State to outlaw slavery in the states, is ashamed of the disrespect that this flag has been given. Many AMERICANS died for this flag, and it demands the same respect given to our current banner of freedom. At this moment in time, I am ashamed of how the vocal minority are reacting nation wide. What flag are we to ban next? How much more of our history are we going to let the vocal minority take away from us before we wake up?

[SnpEro]

LOL and it was put back the same day and still is there today and always will be!

[PikaBoyTV]

Why in the name of her god? Why not in the name of EQUALITY?

[bobdog]

freedom tastes good. i applaud your bravery and conviction. very respectful protest and i love that you gave glory to god.  this is the proper way to raise consciousness and promote peaceful public awareness and dialogue.   i am glad that you were not mistreated in this video.  this is an amazing story.

[dazknight]

People hace been flying the Flag for years no problem until now. So, I assume they will take down all Flags at St Augustine except the American Flag since it belongs to USA now, or am I wrong for remembering history of the fort? Its tge same thing.

[ViolinBee]

I m Native American and I do not find the American flag offensive. I do find race haters offensive. I am also a veteran. I find it offensive when I see people of this nation try their best to tear it down. True this country is not perfect but it is the best country in the world. We all share this nation but there are ignorant fools who only wish it to be one race. America has never been just one race and never shall. This earth was made for all of us. If you cannot handle that then go back hitch a ride with some ET and have them drop you off on someplace you can be alone with yourself. LOL

[killaswag]

Please explain why it's ok to celebrate gay pride but not southern heritage!

[AlejandroGarcia-qkom]

The Lost Cause was never noble nor was it about "state's rights."  It was the result of state legislatures being controlled by a rich planter class that wanted to maintain their monopoly over the South's agriculture, a monopoly they could only maintain through the system of slavery.  Small white landholders had nothing to gain by this system; the planters only won them over to their cause by appealing to their racism and sense of regional chauvinism.  Had they won the war, the US would have fallen apart; we would have become a poor collection of third rate republics, our growth and industry retarded by petty border disputes, trade squabbles, and lack of social progress.  I don't see the Confederate dead as "heroes", at best I see them as rubes taken in by a bunch of rich landlords who were willing to destroy this nation to preserve their own exploitative business practices.  Yet many of them saw right through it at the beginning, people in the mountain communities who had no stake in the plantation system actually refused to fight (West Virginia even seceded to avoid getting dragged into Richmond's war.)  Many more deserted in the late years of the war; man power was so short they had bands of Home Guard trolling the countryside for "outliers."  Many Confederate state governors suspended civil liberties.  In many instances Jefferson Davis acted little better than a dictator. This was no noble cause.  It was the cause of calamity.

[Chris-snux]

this flag is cool what is your problem?