Confederate flag supporters flock to the 'Florida Southern Pride Ride' in Ocala: reports
Confederate flag supporters flock to the 'Florida Southern Pride Ride' in Ocala: reports
Monday, July 13, 2015, 6:04 AM
Ocala police investigating after shots fired near Confederate flag rally
WFTV - Orlando, FL
Thousands of Confederate flag supporters rallied in central Florida on Sunday afternoon.
The blue-and-red-clad drivers of some 2,000 trucks, motorcycles and other vehicles flocked to the town of Ocala for a 17-mile parade in support of county officials’ decision to return the stars and bars to a site outside a Marion County government complex, The Ocala Star-Banner reported.
Someone reportedly fired at least six gunshots in the direction of the so-called “Florida Southern Pride Ride,” but no one was injured, according to WFTV. Police tweaked the parade route after receiving word of threats against the demonstrators in one of the town’s neighborhoods, the Star-Banner reported.
Attendees were wearing t-shirts with slogans like “Heritage not hate” as they defended the rebel symbol.
“This is my flag,” Bryan Williams told WFTV. “It just means this is the South flag. Nothing against anybody. That’s just what I was raised under. I carry it with me all the time.”
BRUCE ACKERMAN/OCALA STAR-BANNER /LANDOVKeeper Greene, a 2-year-old from of Clermont, draped in a Rebel flag, waves a Confederate flag with his father, Brian, at the start of the Florida Southern Pride Ride at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala, Fla., on Sunday.
A General Lee reproduction car modeled on the one from “The Dukes of Hazzard” led the ride, and most of the demonstrators were white, according to the local paper.
The flag signifies “good living, respect, and honesty,” said African-American attendee Dwayne Webb, 23, of Ocala. "It’s a positive movement.”
But a group of counter-protesters called attention to the flag’s association with avowed white supremacist Charleston shooter Dylann Roof.
“What if your heritage is rooted in hate?” Tampa resident Laila Abdelaziz told the Star-Banner. “You have to confront that.”
JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES
Confederate and U.S. flags fly from trucks during a rally in Loxahatchee, Fla., on Saturday.
Local leaders had vowed Tuesday to return the Confederate battle flag to the McPherson Governmental Complex after taking it down in the wake of the massacre in Charleston last month.
With News Wire Services
Follow on Twitter @tobysalkc
ON A MOBILE DEVICE? WATCH THE VIDEO HERE.
Comment
"Destroying the New World Order"
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!
Latest Activity
- Top News
- Everything
"If you're ever out there Doc V and notice giant two legged birds roaming the wilderness be…"
Ashrams and Moonies Perfect Case for Mind Control
In the late 60’s and into the 70’s we saw a strange phenomenon emerge! That was the rise of cults…See More
Modern Progress
From some things you just can’t come backNot everyone has your backIt might just be a nuclear…See More
"cheeki kea, yes they have already produced a Wooly Mammoth by crossing DNA from frozen remains in…"
The Inversion: The 'Sentient World Simulation' (SWS)
Kingsley L. Dennis discussing subjects from his new book - 'The Inversion: How We Have Been Tricked into Perceiving a False Reality' (published September 26,...
Major Technical Developments in 1960 and a Major CIA Disclosure
In 1960, there were some very significant changes in science, flight research, and oceanography…See More
© 2025 Created by truth.
Powered by
You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!
Join 12160 Social Network