‘This flag comes down today’
NYU grad lowers Stars & Bars
BREE NEWSOME did in one morning what the South Carolina legislature would not do for decades.
The 30-year-old black woman scaled a flagpole Saturday morning to yank down the Confederate banner outside the statehouse in Columbia, S.C. “You come against me with hatred and oppression and violence,” declared Newsome, the flag clutched in her right hand, as she shimmied back to earth.
“I come against you in the name of God. This flag comes down today.” And so it did — with the Charlotte, N.C., activist handcuffed once she landed. The divisive
banner, which cannot be removed without a vote by state legislators, was back up within an hour.
The flag has flown at the statehouse since 1961.
Newsome, a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, recited the 23rd Psalm as she was led away in handcuffs along with James Tyson, 30, who assisted in the 6:15 a.m. protest.
Tyson, wearing a hardhat and yellow work vest, joined Newsome in scaling the 4-foot wrought iron fence surrounding the 30-foot high flagpole. He steadied the pole as she scurried up.
Both surrendered without incident once on the ground, with protesters cheering their effort.
“I’m going to come down, sir,” Newsome assured a waiting officer from the state Bureau of Protective Services. “I’m going to comply. I’m prepared to be arrested.”
Newsome’s bust became a cyberspace cause célèbre, with #FreeBree emerging as one of Twitter’s top trending topics.
Filmmaker Michael Moore promised to cover Newsome’s bail and any legal fees.
“After 45 min down, the Confederate flag was back up in S. Carolina. Who’s going to be the next person to #takeitdown?” Moore asked on Twitter.
Longtime civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. tweeted his support as well: “We thank God that Bree Newsome had the courage to take the flag down! #KeepItDown.”
Newsome and Tyson were charged with defacing a monument on state capitol grounds, which carries a fine of up to $5,000 and/or three years in jail.
The pair were released Saturday afternoon after each put up a $3,000 bond. The crowdfunding website Indiegogo raised almost $90,000 from 3,490 donors on its “Bail for Bree Newsome” page.
“We removed the flag today because we can’t wait any longer,” Newsome said via email after her arrest. “We can’t continue like this another day.
“It’s time for a new chapter where we are sincere about dismantling white supremacy and building toward true racial justice and equality.”
The flag’s presence at the home of the South Carolina legislature became a polarizing issue after the June 17 slaughter of nine blacks by a white gunman inside the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.
President Obama and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley are among those who called for its removal in the wake of the racist rampage.
A crowd of about 50 pro-flag demonstrators appeared at the statehouse within hours of Newsome’s arrest, waving Confederate flags and calling for a statewide vote before any decision is made.
“Heritage, not hate!” they chanted.