Michael Moore is offering to pay the bail and legal fees for Bree Newsome, 30, who scaled the 30-foot flagpole in front of the South Carolina statehouse Saturday and took down the Confederate flag by hand.
About three hours after Newsome, a self described artist and activist, took down the flag Saturday morning while wearing a helmet and climbing equipment, the filmmaker tweeted out this.
Friends of @BreeNewsome – I will pay her bail money or any legal fees she has. Please let her know this. #Charleston #TakeDownTheFlag
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) June 27, 2015
While she was climbing, State Capitol police ordered Newsome to come down, but she refused and said she was “prepared to be arrested.”
“We removed the flag today because we can’t wait any longer,” Newsome said in a statement.
(Photo: YouTube screen grab)
“We can’t continue like this another day. It’s time for a new chapter where we are sincere about dismantling white supremacy and building toward true racial justice and equality.”
Booking photos of two the people arrested for taking down flag. pic.twitter.com/4fxqKPPVIh
— News 19 WLTX (@WLTX) June 27, 2015
She was arrested and charged with defacing a monument, along with her cohort. She faces a fine up to $5,000 or three years in prison.
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