2 arrested in South Carolina for removing Confederate flag

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Confederate flag was temporarily removed from the front of the South Carolina State House on Saturday when a woman climbed the flagpole and — despite calls by police to get down — removed the banner.

The flag, which is protected by state law, was raised about 45 minutes later, ahead of a rally Saturday by supporters of keeping the flag where it is.

Sherri Iacobelli, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Safety, said Newsome and James Ian Tyson, 30, also of Charlotte, have been charged with defacing monuments on state Capitol grounds.

Calls for removing the flag have been renewed since nine black churchgoers were killed in what police characterized as a racist attack at a Charleston church last week.

South Carolina lawmakers took the initial steps Tuesday toward removing the Confederate battle flag from the State House grounds by agreeing to allow discussion of the matter during the legislative session.

The flag has flown in front of the state Capitol for 15 years after being moved from atop the State House dome.