Groups urge peaceful protests in debate over SC Confederate flag

Leaders of the S.C. chapter of the National Action Network urged calm Wednesday as a legislative decision approaches on removal the Confederate flag from State House grounds.

“We are asking all goodwill people to restrain themselves from the violence,” said Tina Reddy, a spokeswoman for the group. A similar appeal came from other groups affiliated with her organization.

Their call for calm comes after a fight Monday among flag activists on both sides that led to the arrest of an Irmo man for disorderly conduct.

Reddy’s group called on out-of-state groups to stay away while the fate of the flag is settled.

“We are asking all hate groups like the KKK and the Black Panthers to leave our state,” she said. “You are not welcome here.”

That request comes after a North Carolina activist was arrested for hauling down the flag temporarily Saturday and before a North Carolina-based Ku Klux Klan group travels here for a July 18 State House rally.

Reddy’s organization also urged law enforcement to keep a close eye on black churches in rural areas because of recent fires, some of which are under investigation.

The melee at the State House ground is“a dishonor to those who passed away” in the Charleston church killings, said Bruce Trezevant, a Columbia funeral home operator who heads Project Unity, a group that promotes harmony.

Darwin Miller of Columbia, head of the state chapter of the National Campaign for Tolerance, also urged everyone “stay calm and cool.”

Miller urged gangs that he said plan to show up at the KKK rally to stay away to avoid further confrontations.

Upcoming flag rallies

Among planned rallies in coming days:

▪ Unity Rally Saturday, 4 p.m., State House steps, Main and Gervais streets. NAACP in collaboration with Take the Flag Down SC.

▪ Rally, 11 a.m. Monday, State House steps, Main and Gervais, sponsored by National Action Network.

▪ Unity and Justice Vigil, 7 p.m. Monday, State House Steps, Main and Gervais, sponsored by the NAACP.

▪ Press conference and legislative watch, noon Tuesday inside the State House, co-sponsored by NAACP.

This story was originally published July 1, 2015 at 10:49 AM with the headline "Groups urge peaceful protests in debate over SC Confederate flag."