Calls for the removal of Confederate flags from Jefferson Davis Park in southwestern Washington State began in 2015 , after the Charleston church shooting , by Rev. Marva Edwards , the president of Vancouver 's NAACP chapter . Even though the markers and flags are located on private property , they are and were intended to be highly visible ( to all cars travelling Interstate 5 ) . Their visibility , and events in other parts of the nation regarding Confederate memorials , still make these symbols a local focus of strong emotions , especially in the aftermath of the white nationalist Unite the Right rally August 11 – 12 , 2017
Charleston church shooting
Charleston church shooting
Modern display of the Confederate battle flag