RICHMOND, Va. – Organizers said a rally that drew more than 100 demonstrators to the State Capitol Saturday afternoon was to preserve history and show support for the Confederate flag.
The rally was hosted by the Virginia Flaggers and the Army of Northern Virginia Mechanized Cavalry group.
Since the Charleston church shooting tragedy, the controversy surrounding the Confederate flag has polarized some parts of the nation.
While some said the flag is offensive and should not be displayed in public places, others who passing by the rally were unfazed by the display.
“I don’t think I’m particularly surprised because of Richmond having such a rich southern heritage,” one woman said.
Another man who spotted the gathering said that he supported the event because it shows the "history of this country" and that he did not feel it was "right to equate this to the tragedy that happened in South Carolina."
Event organizers said that everyone who participated brought a canned good. Those donations will be dropped off at a Richmond food bank.
Additionally a group of pickup trucks sporting rebel flags were spotted in Henrico Saturday afternoon. Witnesses reported the group of about ten trucks headed west down Broad Street.
One white truck sported a Confederate flag with the words, "I ain't coming coming down."
Last weekend, more than 145 vehicles took part in a Confederate flag run that weaved through Petersburg, Dinwiddie and Chesterfield counties.
Jerry Dyson III, one of the event organizers, stressed the event was about heritage, not hate.
“It’s not racist,” Dyson explaned. “It’s not a man in a robe, or a man who shoots up a church or a school to represent us all. It’s not. It’s history.”
However, police investigated a bottle throwing incident during that run as the truck's passed through Petersburg. Video of the incident was posted on Facebook and viewed more than 1,000,000 times.
No injuries were reported.
