Bree Newsome has a released a statement, her most thorough comments yet after she scaled a pole this weekend on the capitol grounds in Columbia, South Carolina, and took down the Confederate flag.
Her statement, which was posted on the website Blue Nation Review, addresses her history of activism, citing her experience in Florida (supporting Trayvon Martin), Ohio and Missouri (supporting Michael Brown).
Is the United States prepared/willing to tackle white supremacy the same way it has gone after Islamic extremism? If not, why not?— Bree Newsome (@BreeNewsome) June 25, 2015
On the topic of the Confederate flag, Newsome said:
For far too long, white supremacy has dominated the politics of America resulting in the creation of racist laws and cultural practices designed to subjugate non-whites. And the emblem of the confederacy, the stars and bars, in all its manifestations, has long been the most recognizable banner of this political ideology. It’s the banner of racial intimidation and fear whose popularity experiences an uptick whenever black Americans appear to be making gains economically and politically in this country.
Newsome called her actions "an act of civil disobedience and as a demonstration of the power people have when we work together... I removed the flag not only in defiance of those who enslaved my ancestors in the southern United States, but also in defiance of the oppression that continues against black people globally in 2015."
Newsome's actions inspired the hashtags #KeepItDown and #FreeBree on Twitter.
The people have spoken #KeepItDown pic.twitter.com/ONtCw1qbdK— Tommy Tran (@tommytranpro) June 28, 2015
Heroes sometimes must break the law #FreeBree #KeepItDown pic.twitter.com/Dlyks63lRT— Joshua Medcalf (@JoshuaMedcalf) June 28, 2015
An online fundraiser was started to pay bail and court costs for Newsome and her accomplice, James Tyson, and has already topped $100,000.