Posted on 07/05/2015 2:56:49 PM PDT by Iron Munro
Surrounded by nearly 50 activists, Crystal Wilson steadied a small American flag in one hand, and a lighter in the other.
"The American flag holds as much hatred, as much oppression, as much blood as the Confederate flag," said Wilson, 25.
She sparked the lighter, guiding the small flame to the red, white and blue cloth. It caught fire, and burned away the flecks of fabric.
Another activist raised two smaller flags to the fire, and a third raised a full-sized American flag to the conflagration.
Together, the emblems of freedom withered into tiny black bits on the sidewalk.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that burning an American flag in protest is a form of political speech protected under the First Amendment.
Protesters gathered Friday evening at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park to stand in solidarity with the Charleston, S.C., victims and to denounce monuments they say commemorate white supremacy.
"Who's ready to take the flag down on I-4?" Alekos Zambrano shouted into a bullhorn. The 24-year-old activist and former journalist represented Raíces en Tampa, an organization that focuses on empowering Latino immigrants. "Who's ready to change the name of the Robert E. Lee school?" he continued. "Who's ready to burn some symbols of hate?"
The circle of activists cheered, then broke into a chorus of "Black lives matter! Black lives matter!" Several speakers passed the bullhorn to share their thoughts on racism, oppression and Charleston. They also burned Confederate flags.
The flag burning comes in the wake of the racially motivated shooting at a famous Charleston church that left nine black men and women dead. Since then, debate has reignited over whether to remove the Confederate flag, long considered a controversial symbol.
The debate has touched down in Hillsborough County, one of the latest Southern governments to confront it. For two decades, a version of the flag has hung in government headquarters. When they next meet July 15, county commissioners will consider removing it.
For the activists gathered Friday night, the message was clear: Eradicate all symbols of oppression, and be forthright about each act of violence.
"Dylann Roof murdering black people in a black church is racism," Danya Zituni, a 19-year-old University of South Florida student, said during her speech.
Wilson, a USF student who is black, said she wished to be freed from symbols of oppression because she's tired of being scared, tired of watching people being frisked in Sulphur Springs.
"Are we really free?" she asked the crowd.
"No!" they shouted.
"And are we really brave?" she asked.
Maybe.
Ship them all off to North Korea and try burning the Dear Eater’s flag when real oppresion grips them. Utter fools all.
Maybe they can get the same shunning that Dukes of Hazzard is now getting from Corporate homofascist 'Murica.
And Gold’s Gym shirts should be banned!
If we wanted to help pay the airfares; do they take Amex, and who gets the frequent flyer points?
If that wimpy dipschlitz was lifting real weights at Gold’s instead of pumping feathery burning USA flags he might gave got some manhood sense and discipline knocked into himself. Hope he gets used to being around fire-—he will live in it forever.
A big FU from the fans to the PC crowd, including the management of NASCAR.
Danya Zituni... name reminds me of Obama’s illegal aunt.
All of this is happening because people in that locale are ALLOWING it to happen. Go out and burn a Mexican flag where a significant Mexican population lives. Get a group of stout friends and just do it. I don’t believe anyone has the nerve.
Do the rockets' red glare, and the bombs bursting in air, give any proof at night that our flag is still there?
Hello?
If Tampa had a good, pro-US media, they would put “oppression” in quotation marks.
I really do love that video!
It’s a shame they didn’t have a visit from the motorcylists who crashed the flag-burning in NYC recently.
Jeez, a bunch of kooks....Oh well...
Psst...Alekos Zambrino (or however you spell your dumbass name), The Confederate Flag at the intersection of I75 and I4 is on PRIVATE PROPERTY...If you do try to get it, you will be arrested...
Oh it was from the LEFT of New York Times Tampa Bay Times...The papers here would make the Hartford Courant look Conservative...The Tampa Tribune is pretty good...but the TBTis trash...
When in history has a nation's government hated it's own nation?
Is the TBT one of those free newspapers you see in the stacks at the laundromat?
Well...yeah.
But I wonder if the young lady considers the Knockout Game to be racism, or the Long Island Railway incident, or the DC Sniper, or...on and on.
Of course not...it is only racism when it's white on black, or one that they choose to make an issue of, as in St. Trayvon or the Gentle Giant.
I'm so tired of this crap.
No one is making them stay here. There’s the door, use it.
I really wish somebody who knew this was going to take place would take a “rainbow” flag out there and burn it in front of the anti-Americans.
You can bet they would throw a screaming tantrum and have an impressive hissy fit, calling the rainbow burners the foulest names around. Which should be caught on camera.
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