A large Confederate flag, once flown over a South Carolina highway, has finally come down following a new court ruling.
The flag no longer looms over Interstate 85, after a judge gave the flag’s owner, the Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp #68, until Feb. 5 to comply with the legal order. According to Fox Carolina, the issue itself stemmed from an unchecked county violation issued in October 2022, prompted by the lack of a development permit.
Spartanburg County also found that the flag exceeded not only flagpole requirements, standing at a whopping 120 feet tall, but also sizing requirements for the emblem itself. Initially, the Sons of Confederate Veterans were instructed to lower the flag by 30 feet and reduce its size.
The Neo-Nationalist organization, in which members must identify as male descendants of Confederate soldiers, then appealed the violation, winning the case with the zoning board. However, the county continued the legal battle by appealing their successful motion, as a circuit court reversed the decision.
The right-wing group then made another attempt with the South Carolina Court of Appeals to keep the enlarged flag standing. While the appeal remains pending, a judge denied their motion to alter the appeal, according to a decision reportedly issued Jan. 29.
The judge determined that the Sons of Confederate Veterans
camp failed to exercise due diligence in reporting the flag’s dimensions and height to the appropriate local officials. Instead, the judge reportedly condemned the camp’s sole reporting of the flag to the Federal Aviation Administration, deeming it an attempt to bypass local regulations.The camp told the local outlet that the flag will stay down for now. The news marks the end of its legacy, as the Confederate flag remains generally considered a marker of hate and white supremacy on the popular highway.
While South Carolina has prohibited the Confederate flag on public property, this law does not apply to private property. Regardless, the camp’s flag-raising over Interstate 85 has come to an indefinite halt amid their legal battle.
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