A judge Thursday afternoon agreed to release the Black Lives Matter Charleston activist who was arrested after he attempted to snatch a Confederate battle flag from a protester.
Muhiyidin Elamin Moye, who also uses the last namedBaha, was charged with disorderly conduct and damage to personal property, according to a bond court judge.
The judge granted a personal recognizance bond. He would be required to pay $2,382 only if he doesn't appear for the next court date.
Moye's attorney, Cameron Blazer, argued that Moye is a low flight risk and is easily recognizable. Moye has "a long history of peaceable activism and demonstration," Blazer said.
"This incident was a product of a very unfortunate administrative decision that resulted in two opposing groups being positioned mere feet from one another," Blazer said.
Moye, 31, was seen Wednesday night running and leaping across police tape in his bid to grab the flag outsidethe Sottile Theatre at the College of Charleston, where Bree Newsome was speaking about social justice and activism at an event titled "Tearing Hatred from the Sky."
Newsome is best known in South Carolina for climbing a flagpole at the Statehouse in June 2015 and taking down the Confederate flag as lawmakers debated its removal in the wake of the mass shooting at Emanuel AME Church. She was also arrested for her act of protest.
Moye appeared via live video stream in court. Shortly after appearing on camera, he tapped his temple with one finger, nodded to acknowledge supporters in the courtroom, and briefly raised a fist in the air. Three members of the local activist group Standing Up for Racial Justice, which raised more than $8,000 overnight to help with his court fees, were sitting in the courtroom to show their support.
"I didn't see any crime committed. I just saw a heroic event," said Mary Smith, a 25-year-old SURJ member and Trident Technical College student. "He pulled a Bree Newsome at a Bree Newsome event."
Three members of Moye's family also appeared in court to show their support. His sister, Kim Duncan, said the family is "behind him 100 percent." She did not attend the event Wednesday night, but when she saw video footage of her brother's flying leap, she said, "I didn't think anything of it. That's him."
Moye's jump has made him a minor internet celebrity. A clip of the incident titled "Just a guy taking down the Confederate flag on live TV" was the No. 5 ranked animated GIF on Reddit as of Thursday afternoon, and the sports-centric website Deadspin mentioned the clip as a possible "Sports Highlight of the Day."
Previously, Moye was charged with disorderly conduct in July after he disrupted a North Charleston City Council committee meeting. He was found guilty in his absence in August by North Charleston Municipal Judge Thad Doughty and forfeited $232 bail.
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Black Lives Matter activist freed, facing charges for snatching Confederate battle flag - Charleston Post Courier