CHARLESTON:
The South Carolina legislature passed a bill on Thursday to remove the Confederate battle flag from the state capitol grounds, after an emotional 13-hour debate over the controversial banner, according to sources.
The flag, which dates back to the 1861-65 American Civil War, is a symbol of slavery and racism for many and Southern heritage for others.
The bill, already approved by the Senate, passed a third and final vote in the House of Representatives in the early hours of the morning by a margin of 94-20, and now goes to Governor Nikki Haley to be signed into law later in the day.
People walk through the South Carolina state house grounds in Columbia, South Carolina. PHOTO: AFP
Haley has said she will sign it. The bill was passed after three days of intense debate in both chambers with tempers fraying in the House late Wednesday. The final vote was secured almost exactly three weeks after nine black worshippers were gunned down on June 17 during Bible study at a church with an historically black congregation in Charleston.
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