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Confederate Flag To Be Taken Down Friday From S.C. Capitol Grounds

by Catherine Thompson

07.09.15 | 11:19 am

Protesters hold a sign during a rally to take down the Confederate flag at the South Carolina Statehouse, Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in Columbia, S.C. For years, South Carolina lawmakers refused to revisit the Confedera... Protesters hold a sign during a rally to take down the Confederate flag at the South Carolina Statehouse, Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in Columbia, S.C. For years, South Carolina lawmakers refused to revisit the Confederate flag on Statehouse grounds, saying the law that took it off the dome was a bipartisan compromise, and renewing the debate would unnecessarily expose divisive wounds. The shooting deaths of nine people at a black church in Charleston, S.C., have reignited calls for the Confederate flag flying on the grounds of the Statehouse in Columbia to come down. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt) MORE LESS

The Confederate flag is scheduled to be taken down Friday morning from the grounds of the South Carolina state Capitol, ending weeks of debate over whether or not the flag should be allowed to fly there following the horrific shooting of nine black churchgoers in Charleston.

The state House early Thursday morning approved a bill removing the flag by a two-thirds margin. Gov. Nikki Haley (R) is now expected to sign that bill at 4 p.m. ET, according to spokesman Rob Godfrey:

.@NikkiHaley will hold a bill signing ceremony in 2nd floor lobby of the Statehouse – between the chambers – at 4 PM. #goandtell10people

— Rob Godfrey (@RobGodfrey) July 9, 2015

Once the governor signs the bill at 4 PM, the next step in the process will be to lower the Confederate battle flag at 10 AM on Friday.

— Rob Godfrey (@RobGodfrey) July 9, 2015

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Catherine Thompson Catherine Thompson is a senior editor for Talking Points Memo in New York City. She came to the site in 2013 and reported on national affairs. Previously, she worked as a research assistant to investigative reporter Wayne Barrett. She can be reached at catherine@talkingpointsmemo.com.

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Notable Replies

sooner says:

July 9, 2015

The level of sanity displayed by the South Carolina legislature is commendable. But also a tad worrisome. It will take a few years for me to believe that they acted out of integrity.

Now…if only their counterparts in the U.S. House could find it within themselves to take action against flying this thing on federal property…
fargo116 says:

July 9, 2015

There was a small glitch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnhuDRrV9e8
mattinpa says:

July 9, 2015

Sooner:

It will take a few years for me to believe that they acted out of integrity.

I’m willing to bet—not the house, but, say, twenty bucks—that lots of whites who didn’t want to rock the boat all these years were nevertheless at least a bit conflicted and knew that flag wasn’t really kosher. They knew perfectly well the hate/heritage ratio involved. And finally enough was enough. Shame it took an atrocity to be enough.
fargo116 says:

July 9, 2015

Taken down, eh?.

What’s that dude who crashed his car into a Ten Commandments monument in Oklahoma last year doing now? THAT guy. knows how to take something down!
arrrrrj says:

July 9, 2015

However many voted their sincere belief and however many simply saw the writing on the wall, it’s done, and it’s a great good thing. Now to ensure that the conversation triggered by that atrocity continues, and that this is the first and not the last action taken in the campaign to end a conflict in the way it should have ended a century and a half ago, with liberty and justice for all. Onward to a more perfect union.