A woman scaled the 30-foot flagpole outside South Carolina's Statehouse on Saturday morning and pulled down the controversial Confederate flag just hours before a planned rally for the flag's supporters.
Bree Newsome, 30, who is black, was promptly arrested without incident when she got to the bottom. A white man who assisted her on the ground was also detained.
[seealso slug="where-the-confederate-flag-flies"]
This is Bree. An amazing black woman who climbed the pole and took down the racist flag. pic.twitter.com/DK07mcXRMo— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
The event quickly inspired the hashtags #KeepItDown and #FreeBree on Twitter.
We thank God that @BreeNewsome had the courage to take the flag down! #KeepItDown #FreeBree pic.twitter.com/AKXOu4kB0c— Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) June 27, 2015
But the flag was raised again soon after the incident on the Capitol grounds in Columbia. It can only be removed legally by South Carolina's legislature. Gov. Nikki Haley, a Republican, and many politicians from both parties have called for it to be taken down in the wake of the massacre at a Charleston church last week that killed nine black parishioners.
"Ma'am, come down off the pole," authorities called out to Newsome as she shinnied upward. But Newsome, who was wearing a helmet and climbing gear, did not come down until she had removed the flag.
"You come against me with hatred and oppression and bias," she called out from near the top of the flagpole. "I come against you in the name of God. This flag comes down today."
"I'm prepared to be arrested," she told police as she reached the ground. A group of observers cheered.
Newsome, whose full name is Brittany Ann Byuarium Newsome, is from Raleigh, North Carolina, WLTX-TV reported. The man who accompanied her was identified as James Ian Tyson, 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Booking photos of two the people arrested for taking down flag. pic.twitter.com/4fxqKPPVIh— News 19 WLTX (@WLTX) June 27, 2015
According to WLTX:
Both were charged with defacing a monument and taken to the Richland County Jail. The crime is a misdemeanor, and is punishable by a fine or a maximum jail time of three years.
Later, activists on Twitter suggested that the flag takedown had been carefully planned -- as evidenced by the professional-quality video someone shot, which you can see at the top of this post.
The action to remove the flag was carefully planned by local folks. @BreeNewsome and the supporting crew did not take this lightly.— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
Here's what happened this morning as tweeted by the activist group Ferguson Action:
Breaking: Activists in South Carolina are now taking down the confederate flag at state Capitol. pic.twitter.com/bDsZPbzD87— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
Police are screaming "Get off the pole!" pic.twitter.com/CcOyhSs7Ll— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
After SC refused to take down the flag in time for the funerals, activists took matters into their own hands. #keepitdown— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
The flag is off the pole. #keepitdown pic.twitter.com/M22NvYRYJQ— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
Battle flag is down. Will SC shamefully put it back up in time for white supremacist rally today? pic.twitter.com/5qvOIIZeNB— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
Lots of support for this action from both black and white passers by.— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
Climber is talking to cop about why she's doing this today. pic.twitter.com/sJuOFFtkzc— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
#keepitdown #droptheflag I pic.twitter.com/ARuS4F7kyO— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
Climber has been arrested. Battle flag in tow and it no longer flies above the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/2xxPHNiRHe— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
The flag is gone. All props to local organizers for this amazing action. #keepitdown pic.twitter.com/MaZbJWlVXP— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
Later this morning, a hate group is planning a "defend the flag action." They won't have a flag to worship. pic.twitter.com/KgFaY1VXid— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
BREAKING: SC has ordered the flag be put back up. Just in time for the white supremacist rally at 11AM today. pic.twitter.com/h0pBq15uWb— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
Bree wanted to ensure that white racists had no flag to worship at their rally today. The State of SC disagreed. pic.twitter.com/YtqyjcvJhN— Ferguson Action (@fergusonaction) June 27, 2015
The rally in support of the Confederate flag did take place later Saturday morning.
Some healthy debating going on at a pro flag rally. All peaceful so far. pic.twitter.com/m6Haf7c1a1— chris brathwaite (@number1bajan) June 27, 2015
Here's some of the reaction on Twitter.
For first time since a confederate flag went up in 1962, a beautiful morning at the #Columbia statehouse. #KeepItDown pic.twitter.com/1I5h7A8Fnf— Todd Zimmer (@neutralized) June 27, 2015
A Black Woman scaled the pole at the #sc Capitol and did what politicians couldn't. Removed the #Flag #keepitdown pic.twitter.com/kzMrwbZmAS— Rashad Robinson (@rashadrobinson) June 27, 2015
What @BreeNewsome did was well planned, calmly & happily executed. What an amazing woman. #KeepItDown pic.twitter.com/03d2UqDpE1— Short Stack (@stackizshort) June 27, 2015
.@BreeNewsome, you fearlessly took down the confederate flag in South Carolina today. We stand with you. #FreeBree.— deray mckesson (@deray) June 27, 2015
That picture of @BreeNewsome scaling the pole and removing the confederate flag is power. #keepitdown #FreeBree— Ryan Dalton (@capetownbrown) June 27, 2015
Black women never cease to amaze me. RT @LarryLankLank: Black Woman Are Amazing #FreeBree pic.twitter.com/VW8tZMURFN— Moksha (@gOddFuture) June 27, 2015
I woke up to a photo of a Black woman dismantling symbolic racism. #Blackgirlsaremagic. #FreeBree @breenewsome pic.twitter.com/s7N2H7xoNk— Halfrican American (@lenubienne) June 27, 2015
the smile you give the camera when you just unapologetically took justice into your own hands #freebree pic.twitter.com/ZamElJxgEU— Catherine Labiran (@cathslabiran) June 27, 2015
In 2015, someone should be going to jail for putting the Confederate flag up on a government building, not for taking it down. #FreeBree— JRehling (@JRehling) June 27, 2015