Dozens protest Civil War reenactors who carried a Confederate flag in a southern Maine parade

In New Gloucester, Maine, a number of hundred folks turned out for the annual Memorial Day parade to honor troopers who gave their lives in service to the nation. However a part of the observance concerned a number of Civil Struggle reenactors, together with two sporting Accomplice uniforms and carrying a Accomplice nationwide flag.

They had been met by a bunch of native residents who say the image of hate has no place within the celebration or of their small city.

In between the nationwide anthem, the pledge of allegiance and the enjoying of faucets, Civil Struggle reenactors fired two volleys from their muskets, one for the Accomplice and one for the Union aspect.

For years, the New Gloucester parade has included Civil Struggle reenactors with illustration from the Accomplice Military. However members of the group “New Gloucester United In opposition to Racism” level out that Maine was a firmly abolitionist state with a excessive proportion of Union soldier volunteers. And so they say the Accomplice flag, as a logo of white supremacy, is disrespectful and misplaced.

“We’re out right here to help folks of colour within the New Gloucester group who do not feel welcomed by having a hate image within the Memorial Day Parade,” says Cam Dufty, one of many group’s founders.

He added, “We’re out right here to help troopers who died on the Union aspect and are being dishonored by the inclusion of this flag and these reenactors and we’re out right here simply to point out that there isn’t any place for racism in New Gloucester basically.”

About three dozen members of the group peacefully assembled alongside the parade route holding up anti-racism indicators.

Greater than 100 different residents have expressed help via an e mail listing and Fb group. And Laura Fralich says many signed onto a letter asking the native AMVETS parade organizers to cease together with the reenactors and their divisive image.

“We began reaching out to them a few years in the past and they didn’t actually have a lot of a response…and so then we reached out once more this 12 months and we now have actually gotten no response,” stated Fralich.

However whereas the native AMVETS chapter could not have issued a proper response, visitor speaker Karen Gilles of the New Gloucester Republican Occasion did take up the difficulty in remarks ready by Republican State Rep. Amy Arata, who couldn’t attend.

“Many people really feel ache, revulsion or bewilderment after we
see a Accomplice flag. It is bewildering that so many individuals had been keen to undergo and die for an unjust trigger,” Gilles stated.

Gilles then went on to elucidate that Civil Struggle reenactors ought to have a spot on the occasion due to what they will train about historical past.

“We should always be glad about the time of reflection and that these actors present for us even when it makes us uncomfortable,” Gilles stated.

For his or her half, the three reenactors say they agree that the purpose of their involvement is about preserving historical past and recognizing all veterans. They are saying they accepted an invite to seem from the native AMVETS chapter regardless of some native residents’ objections.

“My title is Tom Boyd. I am from South Portland. They’ve their rights and we now have our rights. Nothing else extra,” Boyd stated.

A name to the native AMVETS chapter in search of remark for this story was not returned by airtime.

However Sasha Nyary of New Gloucester United In opposition to Racism rejects any rationale that legitimizes the Confederacy. She says there’s something extra to contemplate.

“They are saying they’re honoring veterans of every kind, however we do not have a Nazi contingent right here. We do not have a Japanese contingent. We do not have representatives of ISIS. These are all combatants in opposition to the US, United States of America. And I consider in patriots,” she stated.

Nyary and different members of her group say the one place for Accomplice flags is in museums and historical past guide the place there’s ample room for dialogue and context. And so they say they’re hopeful that as a result of so few Accomplice reenactors confirmed up this 12 months, each their letters and their presence on the Memorial Day occasion have made their place clear.