Plane flies Confederate flag over Jacksonville in protest of statue removal
Activist group Save Southern Heritage called on Mayor Lenny Curry to “stop your hate”
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A plane flew the Confederate flag over downtown Jacksonville in protest of statue removals on Tuesday, according to local media reports.
Save Southern Heritage claimed responsibility on social media for flying the Confederate symbol above the Florida city for the second time in a month.
The activist group, which opposes efforts to eliminate Confederate monuments from Jacksonville, also sent a message to mayor Lenny Curry with the banner, “Curry, stop your hate!”
Florida Politics reported that staff at Jacksonville’s City Hall discovered bullet holes in a window close to Mr Curry’s office at the same time the plane was circling overhead.
Save Southern Heritage spokesperson told The Independent via email they were not responsibe for the bullet holes.
The group sparked outrage from NFL fans when it flew a Confederate flag over TIAA Bank Field during a game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens on 27 November, Action News Jax reported.
At the time, Mr Curry tweeted that there was “no place for hate of any kind in our city”.
“My position on monuments remains clear: I have allocated money for removal and empowered city council to take action,” he wrote.
As I’ve said before, there is no place for hate of any kind in our City. My position on monuments remains clear, I have allocated money for removal and empowered city council to take action.
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) November 27, 2022
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis refused to condemn the action, instead blaming the media for taking “some jabroni that nobody cares about” and making them a “celebrity”.
In late October, an unknown group displayed anti-semitic messages at the stadium and onto highway overpasses ahead of the high-profile Florida-Georgia college football game.
Like many cities in the southern United States, Jacksonville leaders have been wrestling with abolishing Confederate statues fro some time.
The city rejected a $500,000 funding application to remove Confederate monuments in June, Florida Politics reported.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments