Things to know if you go to Friday’s flag-removal ceremony
Law enforcement officials from a half-dozen agencies are bracing for possibly huge crowds at the State House Friday for the 10 a.m. removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds.
They also are preparing for trouble. Columbia City Council met in emergency session Thursday night and passed a 30-day ban on all private guns and knives within 250 feet of the State House. Council members cited hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and New Black Panthers as possible troublemakers at Friday’s event.
“We’re just trying to be proactive,” said council member Tameika Isaac Devine. Police Chief Skip Holbrook made the request to City Council.
If you’re planning to attend, here’s what you need to know.
Road closings
Some roads around the State House will be closed, according to the S.C. Department of Public Safety, starting at 9 a.m. Friday.
▪ Gervais Street, , which passes in front of the State House from west to east and is a major rush hour corridor, will be closed during the morning from Assembly to Sumter streets
▪ So will Main Street, up to one block north of the State House, at Lady Street, according to the S.C. Department of Public Safety.
On the grounds
Around 5 p.m. Thursday, after Gov. Nikki Haley signed the bill to take down the flag, state troopers began erecting metal barricades in front of the State House to block off a large swath of concrete between the Confederate soldier’s monument and the State House. Ordinarily, that section is open to the public.
Friday, plans are to keep the public away from that area. Also worth noting:
▪ The north steps and the area on either side of the north steps will be roped off and closed to the media and the public.
▪ The front, central lawn area directly around the monument will be roped off.
▪ The public will be allowed to stand behind barriers on each side of the Confederate flag from the front of the State House (beyond the ropes/barriers) to Gervais Street and Main Street.
▪ Spectators may also watch from Gervais and Main streets, which will be closed to traffic.
No one knows how many people will turn out to witness the historic moment, so law officials are planning for a major crowd.
The S.C. Department of Public Safety, which has officers from Protective Services and the S.C. Highway Patrol, and the State Law Enforcement Division will be providing officers for security Friday. So will the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. Local law agencies including the Columbia Police Department and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department also will provide officers.
The barricades were set up from the State House to the area around the monument.
About the flag-removal ceremony
A simple, dignified removal of the Confederate battle flag is planned for 10 a.m., according to a state law enforcement official, who requested anonymity because the plans had not yet been announced publicly.
No music will be played, and a state law enforcement honor guard – the same one that escorted Sen. Clementa Pinckney’s casket to the State House – will take the flag down and hand it to Allen Roberson, director of the S.C. Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum. From there, it will be taken to the museum, less than a mile from the State House.
It was unclear where the flag would be placed once at the Relic Room.
This story was originally published July 9, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Things to know if you go to Friday’s flag-removal ceremony."