Rallies held supporting "southern heritage"

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dozens gathered on the Westside Sunday, waving their confederate flags. Organizers called it the "Southern Heritage Rally." 

The photo (pictured right) from the event on the Westside was sent to News4Jax by a viewer around 3:00 p.m. It's unclear how long the group was rallying.

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Another photo (pictured above) was sent to News4JAX of a similar rally in Lake City. These rallies follow weeks of protests over removing the Confederate flag from official buildings. Those protests began after nine people were shot and killed at a black church in South Carolina.

Defenders of the Confederate flag say it's a symbol of southern heritage, but others maintain it's a constant reminder of racism and slavery.