Will House Flag News Today

Were honoring the dead is different than having the flag out in front of the state capitol. if it is the same, lets remove the flag. if its different, lets explain to each other why. at what point in time do we look at all the monuments and memorials in american history, civil war included and before, and how do we reconcile with each other, how do we take the symbols that are divisive. is a cemetery different than a war memorial outside the state capitol? i am willing to talk to anybody about t...

You were there with the esteemed mayor of charleston of some four decades who also saw this all happen. don, quite a historic day. >> reporter: yeah. you took the words right out of my mouth. it was a historic day. sitting with governor nikki haley who moments ago, and the interview will run on cnn very shortly. she said this moment forever changed her. shes forever changed as a person. she also talked about growing up as an immigrant here and that was tough under this flag growing up. she said ...

Moments that you could feel the energy. i got to say, it was incredible. just to see the flag go down and then see the immediate reaction. people were cheering, they were emotional, but what i did not see, at least where i was, were tears. what i saw more were smiles. people were joyous. they say this is a time, this is a moment that they have been waiting for for a very long time. >> chanting usa, usa, usa as that flag came down. then you heard people yelling, na na na na na na na na, hey, hey,...

Through their governor, governor haley has done a wonderful job and the legislature acted to remove a symbol of hate from our state house grounds. a flag that had been appropriated by hate groups for a long time. its gone. and its like saying to the families, you know, we know now that this was injurious and insulting to you and to african-americans, and its gone. its a great day. it really is. >> i have heard people say, and i think rightly so because we tend to think that this is just a day fo...

Accredited museum so how we interpret and exhibit are very important to us. we could do it two ways as the last flag that came off the state house but we think we should probably do something to memorialize the 21,000 south carolinians that died in the american civil war. >> reporter: this has been a very divisive issue, a passionate issue. a lot of people feel strongly about it. >> absolutely. >> reporter: you were is he ceremony, your impressions? >> i was very conscious of that. what we hope ...

Get their own parade down the canyon of heroes. you can see the live pictures right there. its just getting started right now. were watching from the ground. were watching from the air. we might have some satellite imagery. carli lloyd wearing a go pro camera for us -- i wish. >> that would be awesome. >> well bring you the highlights all hour so stick with us. >> going to be great to see. we have another major story were following. want to show you some live pictures of the state house ground...

Here, our crowd. 10,000 people i would guess. i thought as many whites as nonwhites. its a joyful day. what i always felt was the citizens of south carolina would support the flag coming down. it was getting the requisite political will to make that act, and so its a joyful day for people of all colors and any time we remove something we find out has been insulting, hurting someone, then we all feel better about that. >> joe -- mayor riley i should say. >> joe is good. >> is there room for peopl...

Alina machado also in south carolina for us. thank you all very much. lets discuss this. lets talk about today, the meaning of today, just beyond the flag. the symbolism of it with republican senator from south carolina, also presidential candidate, lindsey graham. senator, you spoke very emotionally. john and i both remember it when you were on this show and how this moment in your states history before this day had changed you. when you see the flag coming down, when you saw that moment and yo...

So you have those feelings, your ancestors fought and died and, of course, the cause of the war unfortunately was to protect the institution of slavery, theres no doubt about that, but nonetheless, the museums are, you know, are family events, our graveyards are places for that. but this as i said belongs to every citizen of south carolina, and if a symbol that is flying is a symbol that doesnt belong to everyone in south carolina, it shouldnt be here. >> thank you, mayor. >> youre welcome. >> i...

Cheering, chanting usa, usa. we saw people singing. >> yeah. >> there was jubilation. senator, youre a young man, but that flag has been flying there for 54 years, since 1961. thats an awfully long time. and this was a moment of history for the people of your state and your history is tied up with that. so, you know, would you have been cheering like they were were you standing there? were you cheering in new hampshire where you are now i believe? >> well, i looked at it as a moment of progress ...