A rally honoring the Confederate flag took place Saturday in Fulton as supporters drove down towards Jefferson City sporting large Confederate flags on their vehicles.
William Meyer, who spearheaded the rally and subsequently founded Missouri Confederate American Flag Supporters (MoCAFS), requested interested participants to avoid hateful attitudes during the rally.
"I've already made it very clear that there will be no hate," Meyer said. "Anybody that tries to start a fight or tries to misuse the flag for that reason will be kicked out of the rally instantly."
Meyer and other participants agreed the purpose of the rally was to raise awareness about the historical significance behind the flag, and not use the rally as a demonstration.
"Keep it peaceful," Ada Stuart, Meyer's mother, said to participants preparing to begin the rally. "We're not here to start a demonstration."
Stuart went on to discuss with the rally members how they should behave during the rally and that they shouldn't reciprocate any negative reactions they get from other drivers on the road, as she was expecting a lot of backlash during the rally. However, while the group was setting up only one member of the public approached officers on the scene in opposition to the rally, Stuart said.
Tim Higdon, a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, participated in the rally as a way of honoring his ancestors who fought in the war.
"I believe the flag represents the cause for Southern independence; it represents against tyranny and oppression and it represents one of the best armies that ever took the battlefield," Higdon said. "I hope people aren't offended by it because we're not here to offend them. I'm trying to honor my grandparents' grandparents who were a part of the war."
The group, which was smaller than Meyer anticipated, met at the Fulton Wal-Mart on Bluff Street and drove south to the Wal-Mart in Jefferson City at 724 W. Stadium Blvd., according to the Facebook event page. Forty people agreed to participate in the rally, but less than 10 vehicles showed up at rally time. The rally started 20 minutes after schedule as members waited to see if others would join.
Meyer started MoCAFS as a way to reestablish the historical significance of the Confederate Flag and is attempting to make the group a non-profit, similar to the historical society, he said. He plans on dedicating the group to educating others about the South and the Confederacy.
"We support American history and we're not going to cave to people who get offended by inanimate objects," Meyer said.
"A lot of people do associate the flag with racism, and if people don't stand up and say what it really stands for, and we don't learn to live together and judge symbols based on content of character then we're going backwards," Higdon added.
The group, which started July 16, has received more than 200 likes on its Facebook page and began discussing the possibility of filing a slander lawsuit for those who use the flag as a hate symbol, Meyer said.