COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Confederate flag in downtown Kennesaw has been stolen, according to city officials. The theft comes as another group fights to take the flag down permanently.
The city of Kennesaw told Channel 2's Justin Wilfon they have no choice but to the put the flag back up.
The Confederate flag usually flies high in the middle of downtown Kennesaw in a small city park. But Wednesday someone brought it down.
“I think this is kind of a cowardly act. You know, this is history,” said Lisa Hinson.
A city spokesperson confirmed told Wilfon that someone stole the flag in the midst of escalating racial tensions across the country.
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“I’m not quite sure after all of these years why this has become such an issue for people. I feel if we erase our history, we’ll erase the fact that there was slavery,” Hinson said.
More than 2,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org to have the flag taken down permanently.
“I don’t believe that the flag should be flown on city property,” said Reid Jones who started the petition. “I believe that the flag should be removed because it’s used as a symbol for white supremacy, racism and sectionalism.”
A few of his supporters joined him at the Kennesaw City Council meeting Wednesday night to begin their fight to remove the flag.
But a city spokesperson told Wilfon in a statement that the city has no choice, but to put the flag back up, because of Georgia state law which prevents cities from taking down monuments dedicated to those who served.
The flagpole that flag was on is part of such a monument.
“I don’t think it represents any kind of unity and I think unity is what we need most in our nation right now,” Jones said.
The group that's working on the petition plan on being back at the City Council meeting on Monday night.
They hope the City Council will pass a resolution pressuring the state to change the current law.
Cox Media Group
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