Those who wanted a Confederate flag to continue flying outside a Virginia museum rumbled with protesters

After the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History asked the City council rto remove the flag from a monument and place it inside the museum, Confederacy heritage groups threw their advocacy team into high gear in support of the racist symbol.

“What community in the United States of America can continue to fly a symbol of hate like that?,” asked Rev. Avon Keen, president of the Danville-Pittsylvania County chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

As WSET reported, an announcement by officials that state law is with the supporters of the flag resulted in a confrontation between civil rights activists and Confederacy sympathizers.

“Then you need to go back to Africa,” responded Ed Clark, second lieutenant commander if the Sons of Confederate Veterans, when confronted by civil rights activists.

Keene also noted that Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens thought blacks were inferior and was in favor of slavery.

“If the Jewish community saw a Nazi flag flying out here it would come today. Put one out here and see what happens. The African-American community has patiently stood by this flag flying here, and now it’s time for it to come down,” Keen said.

The city manager said that he lacks authority to take the flag down, ignoring the fact that the first initial request was to have the flag moved inside, not have it removed.

-Tamara El(@_SheWise_)