Virginia Flaggers Raise Confederate Flag, Draw Hundreds Of Supporters

After days of controversy, a Virginia group followed through on its intentions to raise a Confederate flag commemorating soldiers who fought for the South in the Civil War.

The Associated Press reported Saturday that the Virginia Flaggers successfully placed a 15-by-20 foot flag in Chesterfield County, Va.. More than 200 people gathered to watch the event, in a cleared circle of forest off Interstate 95, just south of the state capital of Richmond, Va.

"Our battles are all defensive...in defense of the honor and good name of our ancestors, and against actions taken to dishonor them and desecrate their monuments and memorials," the Virginia Flaggers wrote on their blog Saturday morning.

One day earlier, WWBT-TV reported that police wanted the location of Saturday's event to stay undisclosed beforehand, over concerns of fighting between pro- and anti-flag groups. As of early Saturday, United RVA planned to raise an American flag on Richmond's City Hall in response.

"There's only one flag that unites and represents all of us in RVA and that's the American flag," Brian Cannon, an attorney representing United RVA, told WWBT-TV.