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Virginia Flaggers to raise third Confederate Battle Flag over I-95

Posted at 3:48 PM, Feb 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-12 15:48:23-05

RICHMOND, Va. — For the third time in three years, the Virginia Flaggers will raise a Confederate Battle Flag over Interstate 95 in Virginia. The newest flag will be raised Saturday on an 80′ pole that sits on private property near the interstate in Prince George County.

“The flag will be raised in honor and memory of all Confederate soldiers, and will be designated the ‘I-95 Wade Hampton Prince George Memorial Battle Flag’ to honor Gen. Wade Hampton and his efforts to defend Richmond, Petersburg, and the Commonwealth,” the Virginia Flaggers wrote in a message to the media. “She will also serve as a 24/7 reminder of Virginia’s rich and honorable Confederate history and heritage.”

In 2013, the Virginia Flaggers raised a Confederate Battle Flag over Interstate 95 in Chesterfield. In 2014, the group raised one in Stafford County.

Previous flag raisings have caused an outcry in the community, including an online petition signed by nearly 25,000 people.

“As we progress through history, symbols change in meaning. Given the extreme controversy over this particular symbol, it does not serve as a positive representation of the city of Richmond, nor does it serve as a positive reminder of the South’s determination to keep the institution of slavery for their profit,” the 2013 petition read.

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