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To many, it is a symbol of racial hatred.
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'Take down the #ConfederateFlag at the SC Capitol. That same day, hundreds of people staged a protest against the flag in Columbia.Ī petition on has garnered more than 320,000 signatures. Mitt Romney however on Saturday joined growing calls for South Carolina's Capitol to take down its Confederate flag in the wake of the shooting. Rick Santorum also sidestepped the question on ABC's This Week, echoing Huckabee's sentiment.Įven Hillary Clinton has failed to make a comment about the controversy. Lindsey Graham has come out strongly in favor of letting the flag fly, while Mike Huckabee said on Meet the Press that it is a decision that should be left up to the state, not the federal government. The hot button issue of whether or not the flag should fly is now being posed to presidential hopefuls as they tour the country, with candidates on both sides reluctant to give a firm answer one way or the other for fear of losing voters. Riley and Haley both attended service Sunday morning at Emanuel Church, the first since the shooting occurred earlier this week. They also wrote 'Riley and Haley -Why defend this evil -This the root of our evil,' a note for Mayor Joe Riley and Governor Nikki Haley.Ī tarp was brought in to cover up the writing soon after the vandalism was discovered, but not before ABC 4 managed to get a video of the writing on the monument. Making many even more upset is the fact that Roof frequently posed with the Confederate flag, implying a greater allegiance to that flag than the American flag. Now, many in the state and around the country are outraged that despite Roof's admitted racial motivation the flag has not been taken down. Suspected killer Dylann Roof proudly displayed Confederate plates on his car before ambushing a bible study class at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and opening fire on the African American congregants.Īs victims pleaded for mercy, reports claim, Roof said 'No, you've raped our women, and you are taking over the country. The banner has been condemned by millions - including President Obama and GOP leaders - as a symbol of racial hatred that disrespects the nine black churchgoers massacred in Charleston on Wednesday. Protesters in South Carolina have defaced a war monument as the Confederate flag continues to fly over the state's capitol.