South Carolina Removes Confederate Flag From Atop State Capitol
GENE RANDALL, CNN ANCHOR: South Carolina today removes the Confederate Flag from the top of the State Capitol. It was put there in 1962, during the height of the Civil Rights movement, and has been the center of a bitter and growing controversy. CNN's Brian Cabell joins us from Columbia, South Carolina -- Brian.</s>BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Gene. as we are speaking the flag is coming down, all three flags, the American flag, the South Carolina state flag and the battlefield flag for the Confederacy has just gone inside the capitol dome. It has come down after some 38 years. It will brought down to the rotunda and handed over to governor in next five, 10 minutes, and then it will retired to a state museum. Now after that, and almost simultaneously, we will have another battle flag similar to that one, not quite the same, designed differently. It will be brought to flag pole erected in the front of the capitol, and it will be flown from there. This is the result of a compromise that was reached by the legislature just about a month or two ago. And as can you hear, not everybody happy about what's happening. I would say most of the 5,000 or so people that are gathered here are flag supporters. What you're looking at right now we believe is a color guard. These are reenactors, Confederate reenactors. They will be putting a Confederate flag on top of a poll in front confederate statue. Once again, this is a compromise that was reached after a great deal of struggle because neither side wanted it. Those who favored flag wanted it kept on top of the capitol. Those who opposed the flag wanted it removed from capital grounds altogether, or at least encased in glass and put here on the capital grounds. But they reached was a compromise. And what you're hearing right now, again, is some jeering. It's been a rather busy last four hours, demonstrations for and against, mostly milling around. We have the NAACP out here marching silently, about 2,000 strong a little while ago. And now, as you watch, that is new Confederate Flag being raised in front of the capitol. It is going to be raised about 30 feet high on that staff. It will be lit at night. Those were some of the stipulations made by the legislature when they reached this compromise. Many people upset that it's being raised here at all, because actually they're saying that it may be more prominent in this location because it's right alongside a very busy street in front of the capitol. Again, on the other side, African-Americans saying it shouldn't be at all, it should no be the representing the state of South Carolina at all. It represents, to them, oppression, racism, slavery. Here is a battle flag of the Northern Virginia Confederacy. It is square. It is designed slightly differently. It has a white border on it, unlike the rectangular one taken down from the capital. There are also two flags inside of the legislature, both in house and senate sides. Those have been taken down. Those, too, will be taken over to the state museum. The controversy here continues because the NAACP for the last six months has been boycotting the state of South Carolina, telling tourist to stay away. At least 100 groups have stayed away because of the flag. NAACP says the boycott will continue, and in fact, maybe even broaden to include sporting events and motion picture production. They want the flag taken off the capital grounds altogether. So, Gene that's the way it looks like right now. There have been know serious disturbances. A lot of hooting and hollering, but no problems. Heavy police presence. No fights have broken out. Some yelling back and forth, but not much, and frankly, most of the yelling has come from the pro-flag supporters. The NAACP march that came by here about two hours ago was absolutely silent. They were dressed white, and they had nothing to say. They simply marched by with a single</s>RANDALL: Brian, I know there is a lot of noise there, but if you can hear me, apparently what you're saying is the bottom line is, as important as today's event is, it will not end the controversy?</s>CABELL: Well, if the NAACP has it way, that is certainly the case. They want this boycott to continue. They say it will continue, so South Carolina will continue to lose some tourism dollars. So in their mind, it will not end. In mind of Governor Jim Hodges and many legislators it will end. They say that people will ignore the NAACP boycott since this is, in a sense, a partial victory. But of course the NAACP say it is no victory whatsoever for them. This is still a blatant display and a violation of their rights, as it was when it was flying atop the capital. Again, there was nothing -- what we have right now are African Americans mostly walking through the crowd, saying "shame," with placards saying "shame." They are making way through flag supporters, so there is some possibility of some disturbance here, but frankly, it doesn't look like it's anything terribly physical. It's look as though these people will simply make their way through crowd and people will be shouting back and forth at one another with a little bit of jostling and with a heavy police escort. There are some I would say at least a few hundred police officers out here making sure that peace is maintained here. And so far, they have done a very good job of doing that, considering that emotions are running very high and that people are crowded in here considerable here around the flag that was just raised up by the flag staff -- Gene.</s>RANDALL: Thank you, Brian. Brian Cabell in Columbia, South Carolina, where it is a milestone day and a very noisy day as well.