The Confederate battle flag flies outside the Columbia, South Carolina, state house. (Getty)
The South Carolina legislature voted early Thursday morning to permanently remove the Confederate battle flag from the state capitol grounds in Columbia. Governor Nikki Haley is set to sign the bill into law Thursday afternoon. But when will the flag actually come down?
A spokesperson for Haley told the Associated Press that the flag will be removed from the Statehouse during a ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday.
No other details about the ceremony have been announced.
The bill, which was first passed by the state Senate and then approved by the House after a lengthy, emotional and contentious debate, requires the flag to be taken down within 24 hours of its signing.
The flag has been flying outside the Statehouse for 54 years. It was put up as a protest to the Civil Rights movement, the AP reports.
