Yesterday afternoon a group of protesters waved rebel flags and dressed in confederate clothes outside the York County Courthouse after the clerk of court decided to remove several confederate items and memorabilia – including the confederate flag.
There was a heavy police presence at the protest, but it remained peaceful and sparsely attended for most of the day.
Sons of Confederate veterans are calling for York County Clerk David Hamilton's job after he ordered removal of the items. Rally is peaceful pic.twitter.com/uBk7hHIFwN
— Evan West (@TV_Evan) April 22, 2017
The courtroom was renovated and reopened earlier this month, and during the $10 million renovations, the York County Clerk of Court made the executive decision to remove several items that Confederate history supporters now say were vital aspects of their history.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans say that the removal of the items by York County is violating the US Heritage Act.
County officials released a public statement saying that the items weren’t monuments or memorials, and were only for decoration, and are therefore not required to be returned to the courtroom under the S.C. Heritage Act. The county is now waiting for an opinion from the S.C. Attorney General for confirmation.
Do you support the removal of the confederate items?