Bluesfest security guards removed a man who was waving a Confederate flag from the festival site Tuesday evening, according to a witness.
Meghan Holmes, 23, said she was on festival grounds when she saw security guards escort a man in his early 20s who was “carrying a Confederate flag” from the festival.
Bluesfest organizers were unavailable to comment on the incident Tuesday evening.
As well, festival volunteer Mar Mohamed, 18, said she was uncomfortable selling merchandise decorated with modified versions of the controversial flag.
Mohamed said artists southern artists Lynyrd Skynyrd and Brantley Gilbert, who were playing at the festival Tuesday evening, had merchandise with “modified versions” of the Confederate flag on them.
Tweets from the Ottawa Bluesfest on Tuesday said at least one person brought a Confederate flag to the festival but was removed by security, while a Bluesfest volunteer said artists Lynyrd Skynyrd and Brantley Gilbert were selling merchandise with some version of the Confederate flag on them.
“One was a black and yellow version of it, another on the back of a hat (actual flag but just in black). And another with Gilbert’s arms crossed surrounded by red and stars (basically the flag but with his arms as the x),” Mohamed said in a Twitter message.
Gilbert also used the stylized flag-with-arms as his stage backdrop Tuesday.
Mohamed says she and other volunteers in the merchandise tent felt uncomfortable when they realized how eagerly some attendees were buying the clothing.
“It’s something we all kind of laughed off but as soon as we realized there was a high demand from others — it became uncomfortable, especially when people would come up to me and ask for it or my other co-worker who wasn’t white,” she added.
Tarah Douillon, from the Ottawa chapter of Black Lives Matter, confirmed one of their members spotted a Confederate flag at the festival on Tuesday.
On Sunday, a photo of an upstate New York man who was wearing Confederate flag shorts speaking with Bluesfest volunteers stirred up controversy on Twitter.
Bluesfest organizers later tweeted that “volunteers in photo have no connection 2 the man-any implications otherwise r inappropriate.”
Related
