Small Confederate flag removed from toppled statue site in Durham

DURHAM, North Carolina (WTVD) -- Adam Schultz watched the coverage of protesters who pulled down a Confederate statue in Durham and decided to get a closer look.

"I was a little conflicted about the stuff last night," he told reporters. "The community wanted it down, the city wanted it down. But the state legislature made it so the city couldn't decide that.So the citizens did. I think it's fine. We don't need symbols of hate like that in our community."

Opposing viewpoints are flooding social media, with many people insisting the statue and remaining memorial stone pedestal honor Durham citizens who fought for their community. Many are offended by images that shoW opponents stomping on the downed statue.

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"People kicking it while it was down, and adding that violence didn't feel good," said Schultz. "So I kind of wanted to come in this morning and just think through it, feel it. And I was just going to sit and reflect a bit. But then this dude walked up with a Confederate flag, and placed it in front of it. Knowing full well what he was doing, no question. He went on some tirade about Bernie Sanders and Hillary being evil, and I was physically shaken and upset. I'm Jewish, I had to explain to my kids the other day what was going on, and why it mattered. And I had to tell them yeah, if Hitler were around today he would kill me, and he would kill you."

Schultz says when that man with the flag spoke angrily about the Democratic candidates, apparently blaming them for the actions taken by demonstrators in Durham, "I get it now. I get why they were angry last night, why they were kicking. I waited until he went away. didn't want conflict, I didn't want beef. I didn't need to hear his thoughts. I just knew that that flag didn't need to be there, either. So I just removed it."

He placed the flag inside a nearby trash can, steps away from the spot where the toppled statue was until county workers took it away.