COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Confederate flag has been removed from a flagpole on the grounds of the South Carolina Statehouse, where it has had a presence for 54 years.
The rebel banner was taken down by a state Highway Patrol honor guard in a ceremony Friday morning. Thousands of people gathered at the Statehouse, many cheering and some chanting “take it down”.
After the flag was removed, a van transported it to a nearby museum, where it will be housed. The flagpole, too, will be torn down, but no timetable is set.
Republican Gov. Nikki Haley didn't show any emotion as the Confederate flag was lowered and removed from the South Carolina Statehouse grounds until someone in the crowd yelled ‘Thank you, governor.’ Gov. Haley nodded in the direction of the cheering and smiled.
President Barack Obama says taking down the Confederate flag is “a sign of good will and healing and a meaningful step toward a better future”.
The President posted his reaction on Twitter on Friday, minutes after the flag was removed.
The ceremony and flag removal come after the June 17 massacre of nine black parishioners at a Charleston church. The shootings reignited calls to remove Confederate symbols nationwide.
The Confederate flag was raised over the Capitol dome in 1961 to protest integration. It was moved in 2000 to a flagpole in front of the Statehouse. The leader of the South Carolina chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans said he was not at the ceremony to take down the rebel flag because he honors the memories of his seven ancestors who fought for the South in the Civil War.