Atlanta man arrested after attempt to remove Confederate flag flying over Interstate 85
An Atlanta man was jailed over the weekend and charged with trespassing after trying to remove an often-controversial Confederate flag flying above Interstate 85 in Spartanburg County.
Daniel Blitch, 23, was arrested on July 13 after he climbed a fence onto the property at 2294 Teaberry Road to access the flag, according to Spartanburg County Sheriff's Master Deputy Johnathan McGill. He was released the following day.
Deputies reported Blitch said he didn’t agree with the flag and wanted to lower it to take it back to Atlanta.
In a separate incident Friday night, deputies responded to the property and found damage to the flagpole lockbox and metal shavings at the base. A sharp object had been used to try to pry open the panel of the box.
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The Sons of the Confederacy Veterans Camp 68 own the flagpole. The group said cameras surrounding the pole pick up motion and footage would be pulled to determine if the motion sensors were activated.
It is not clear when the lockbox was damaged, but the SVC said the damage was not there three weeks ago.
The flag was first raised in October 2022. About 80,400 cars pass by it every day, according to South Carolina Department of Transportation data.
The flag has been disputed for more than two years and came to court litigation when the SVC filed a lawsuit in 2022 after Spartanburg County said it was in violation of the land use ordinance and ordered it taken down.
On Feb. 28, 2023, the Spartanburg Board of Zoning Appeals voted 5-3 to overturn the violation, but nearly a year later, on Feb. 20, Judge Mark Hayes II ruled that the original notice issued by the county was correct.
The SVC appealed Hayes's decision, which was expected to be reviewed by the South Carolina Court of Appeals. Until there's a decision, which could take years, the flag flies.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Man arrested after attempt to lower Confederate flag on Interstate 85
