DC Anti-racist protesters disrupt “Southern Heritage Rally,” destroy Confederate flags

From DC Direct Action News

On the 5th of September, a “Southern Heritage Rally” waving Confederate flags showed up in Upper Senate Park, just north of the US Capitol. The Capitol Police attempted to protect them from a much larger group of anti-racist protesters but were outflanked by a street march. Protesters circled the area, got around the cops, and got between the Confederate flag wavers and their cars and Metro. This set up a “Capture the Flag” match in which several Confederate flags were captured and destroyed. The racists had to run a gauntlet of protesters to escape.

At one point, a Twitter report said “scuffles break out at Union Station as #BlackLivesMatter activists confront KKK group leaving Wash DC.”

At first, antiracist protesters were in Upper Senate Park by Constitution Ave, and the racists much father back with weak police lines between them. Cops demanded activists leave the park, making bluffing threats of mass arrest. This pushed protesters into the street-cops should be careful what they ask for in case people do in fact comply. Protesters then filtered back and retook space, until word came the racists would attempt a march. At that point antiracists marched into the streets, announcing publicly that they would march off and attempt to block or intercept the march route. Instead, the march circled the park, getting between the Confederates and their cars and Metro.

Some of the Confederate flag wavers had parked at a parking garage guarded by police. Others though parked closer. At least one truck with the flag had to move after attempting to park by the counterprotest. Others parked near Union Station were surrounded by protesters as the racists tried to leave the area. Since the street march got to the north side of the area before the Confederates thought to run away, they found theselves nearly trapped. They managed to escape, but had it not been for the fact that “the cops and the Klan work hand in hand” they probably would not have. At it was they lost some of their flags and all of their dignity.

Video-protesters march around the cops, catch Confederate flag waving racists