Confederate Flag Raising Columbia SC - PhotographyConfederate Flag Raising Columbia SC by South Carolina photographer Sean Rayford

“LOOK AT THOSE SNOWFLAKES WITH THEIR PARTICIPATION TROPHY! BOOOOOO!!!!!!” shouts a protestor with a bull horn as a man dressed in Civil War era military garb unfolds a Confederate battle flag yesterday at the South Carolina Statehouse in Columbia, SC.

Marking two years since the removal of the controversial flag, the S.C. Secessionist Party flies it again, if only for few hours, in the sweltering heat from the same spot just behind the Confederate soldiers monument. For some, like me, it’s a reunion of sorts, seeing the same faces from the summer of 2015, chasing shade and water and people throwing up because it’s damn hot.

“GO HOME WHITEY!” shouts the protester, a man who goes by Mr. Catfysh, and a staple in the Columbia civil resistance scene. Like most Monday mornings in July, it’s quiet at the end of Main St. and Mr. Catfysh’s megaphoned voice bounces off the downtown buildings as flag activists attempt to have a solemn moment. He continues on with jokes about Vladimir Putin and then launches into fart sounds as the flag continues up the temporary pole with a PVC base.

“GO HOME CONFEDERATES! YOU’RE NOT WANTED HERE, YOU LOST AND YOU WILL LOSE AGAIN. GO HOME CONFEDERATES!”

As the flag reaches it’s apex, the flag supporters, numbering about 75, shout a collective rebel yell of sorts, “WOOOOOO!”

28 PHOTOS: Activists Raise Confederate Flag At SC Statehouse 2 Years After Its Removal

Photos by Sean Rayford for Getty Images
Words by Sean Rayford

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