: Waving placards, chanting "take it down" and singing We Shall Overcome, the youthful crowd - black and white - condemned the Civil War saltire as a symbol of lingering racist sentiment in the American south. "We can no longer afford to let that flag stand there," lawyer and activist Sarah Leverette, 95, said, adding the flag would be a beacon for those who harboured "bad opinions". Organisers called the event a "warm up" for what they hope will be an even bigger anti-flag protest, also in front of the State House, on the Fourth of July holiday, according to Australian Broadcasting Corporation. As of Saturday, more than 370,000 people had put their name to an online petition launched by the Move On.org activist group, calling for the flag to go. "Symbols of hate have no place in our government. Related Story: Accused gunman linked to website with racist manifesto Related Story: Thousands attend vigil for victims of Charleston church shooting Related Story: 'Hate won't win': Families of US shooting victims confront suspect Map: United States Several thousand protesters gathered on Saturday under the controversial Confederate flag at South Carolina state legislature, demanding it be taken down in response to the Charleston church massacre. The Confederate flag is not a symbol of southern pride but rather a symbol of rebellion and racism," the petition read. "It time to put that symbol of rebellion and racism behind us and move toward healing and a better United States of America!" Confederate symbol a point of friction The flag presence alongside a memorial to Confederate war dead on the State House lawn has been a point of friction in South Carolina for years. Photo: The Confederate battle flag flew at full-mast despite others flying at half-staff in South Carolina after the killings. It became a flashpoint once again after a young white male, Dylann Roof, walked into a bible study class at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston and allegedly shot dead nine African Americans.
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