Support for the confederate battle flag isn’t going down without a fight here in Virginia.
Another flag run passed through Petersburg Saturday, with some riders going all the way up to Stafford.
Flagger, Susan Giles says “We are trying to support our freedoms and we feel like if they’re going to take away the flag rights, then they have the rights to take away everything else, like gun rights and freedom of speech.”
A total of 25 cars showed up for the run which started in Petersburg and continued through Hopewell and Chester.
It was just two weeks ago to the day that the first confederate flag run made it’s way through Petersburg with bystanders, none too happy, throwing water bottles at supporters.
Before things could get started, this go-round proved to be no different .
Jacob Yost said, “We got approached by some people, and as we were pulling away from the stop light, we got a cup thrown at us full of drink because we were flying the flag.”
Saturday’s flag run did see an increase in police presence.
It’s an extra expense, not normally budgeted for, for the city, but something Esther Hyatt with Petersburg PD says is something to consider in not only keeping demonstrators safe, but also city residents.
She says, “We do support anybody who wants to come and assemble in the city. we do, however, want to make sure that when these things happen, and in this case, we actually had to hire officers overtime to be out here.”
Jacob Yost participated in the last flag run and was met with the same reaction two weeks ago, but says that won’t stop him from showing his support.
He says if people don’t like his flag, they need a history lesson.
Yost, along with his sister Haleigh Simpkins say the message behind their support for the flag is about “heritage not hate”.
When asked what about the heritage meant so much, Yost replied, “no comment.”
Demonstrators also reported hearing racial slurs as they made their way along route 10- but nothing was thrown at them there.
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