More “Confederate Defenders” Protests; AND Ten Years Ago on this Website.
BySunday (July 12, 2020) saw continued protest at the Confederate Defenders Monument.
WCSC (Live5News.com) [CLICK HERE] offered a photo and coverage.
Two opposed groups gathered. Black Lives Matter marchers held their signs along The Battery wall. Across the street at the Confederate Defenders Monument, members of Flags Across the South as Police stood watch.
Black Lives Matter protesters the hold signs along the Battery Wall, while “Flags Across the South” people hold Confederate flags at the monument across the street.
BLACK LIVES MATTER:
Abbey O’Brien reported for WCSC Live5News.com that two groups gathered at the Confederate Defenders statue at Battery Point Charleston on Sunday morning. (Source: Live 5)
The BLM marchers carried signs that included:
- “Stop Pretending Your Racism Is Patriotism;”
- “HONK Against RACISM”
- “MAKE RACISM WRONG AGAIN”
- “THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT ONE MAN”
- “BLACK LIVES MATTER”
FLAGS ACROSS THE SOUTH:
Braxton Spivey, from Flags Across the South, told WCSC that he has stood at the statue nearly every Sunday for five years. He explains his presence there:
“My agenda, from the first time I’ve come up here, was to educate,” Spivey said. “I disagreed with the flag coming down from behind the soldier’s monument at the Statehouse. I feel like that was an appropriate place for it.”
“My agenda, from the first time I’ve come up here, was to educate,” Spivey said. “I disagreed with the flag coming down from behind the soldier’s monument at the Statehouse. I feel like that was an appropriate place for it.”
Mika Gadsden, speaking for those standing across the street on The Battery wall, state:
“We stand in opposition to these white supremacists tributes, we want them down in this city,” while s“We want the City of Charleston to recognize its history and honor its history with more accurate historical representations.”
“This needs to be the beginning of a more substantive conversation. We need to heighten the level of discourse around this Civil War iconography. We need to use this moment to bring about real substantive change. I don’t want the streets painted with Black Lives Matter, I want Black Lives Matter to be reflected in city policy. I want to see equity and I want to see the city take a firm stand against white supremacists iconography.”
Abbey O’Brien concludes her reporting: “While there was shouting, no other violence has been reported so far.”
For the record:
When a Succession Gala was organized and held in Charleston in 2010, this webmaster posted the following story:
MacNeil Statue will not attend Secession Gala
Perhaps, it warrants reading again.
MacNeil Statue will not attend
Secession Gala
By
[For more recent news (Dec 21st, 2010) on the posting below see this link: The Star: Ball Draws Celebrators, Protestors ]
Hermon A. MacNeil’s Confederate Defenders statue may cast its shadow on upcoming Secession Gala festivities. MacNeil’s massive work stands sentry over Charleston Harbor, facing toward Ft Sumter, 3 1/2 miles away.
MacNeil’s “Confederate Defenders” as photographed in his studio in 1931.
The South Carolina Secession Gala tickets are going quickly. We have less than one month left to attend an event that will surely be an “EVENT OF A LIFETIME”!!! You certainly won’t want to miss this wonderful event!We have a 45 minute theatrical play re-enacting the signing of the original Ordinance of Secession with Senators and famous individuals as actors in this performance. We even have President Pro-Tempore of the SC Senate, Glenn F. McConnell as Convention Chair, David F. Jamison of Barnwell.
The wonderful news is that the ORIGINAL Ordinance of Secession will be available for viewing by our guests. This is not a lithograph, but the ACTUAL document which has been protected for years in the vault and hasn’t been seen in years. Those sponsoring tables will be able to have a group photograph with all Sponsors made with the ORIGINAL ORDINANCE.
The cost includes the theatrical play, dinner and dancing. Do not wait until the last minute as tickets are going fast and there is limited seating.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The event has stirred some debate in the news locally and nationally. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-10/civil-war-s-150th-anniversary-stirs-debate-on-race.html
“It’s almost like celebrating the Holocaust,” said Benard Simelton, president of the Alabama conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. “Our rights were taken away and we were treated as less than human beings. To relive that in a celebratory way I don’t think is right.”
For persons not wanting to pay $100, there are other alternatives. The state’s NAACP chapter plans a protest march and vigil outside the city-owned auditorium where the party will be held.
CLOSING COMMENT: The MacNeil Statue will not attend the Gala. It will remain in Battery Park, its home for the last 78 years. In addition, the sculpture’s attire is not proper for the dress code of the Ball. WEBMASTER
Related MacNeil Links:
https://hermonatkinsmacneil.com/2010/08/10/confederate-defenders-of-charleston/
https://hermonatkinsmacneil.com/2010/08/04/confederate-defenders-statue-battery-park/
