TAMPA, Fla. — The large and controversial Confederate flag infamous to Tampa has been taken down.
The flag typically flies over the Sons of the Confederate Veterans Memorial located just off I-75 at Dale Mabry Highway.
On Sunday, the group that maintains the memorial brought down the flag.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to 10 Tampa Bay that there were rumors of a planned protest and protesters saying they were going to take down the flag.
Deputies did patrol the area on Sunday to ensure that any protests at the memorial remained peaceful.
David McCallister is the head of the chapter that oversees the memorial. He says they chose to take down the flag to avoid potential vandalism.
“We do not want to be a target. We do not want to provide any incentive for people to break the law. We are behind law enforcement and first responders. We deplore the destruction of private and public property,” said McCallister.
He told 10 Tampa Bay the flag will stay down for the time being.
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