Folk festival flap

MONDAY, Aug. 10 — Christopher Zemer has been flying the Confederate flag on his antique root beer stand for the past 12 years, including at the Great Lakes Folk Festival.

But this year the flag was not hoisted on a pole along with an American flag. Rather, a smaller one was used over a window on his stand. A “Romney Ryan” sticker was next to it.

Unlike other years, Zemer faced non-violent protests over the flag at the weekend festival in East Lansing. Acquiescing to a request from the festival, Zemer took down the flag down on Friday, but it rose again Saturday before he removed it once more.

“It’s part of my heritage,” Zemer, a Texas resident who used to live in Jackson, told City Pulse Saturday evening, while his staff slung root beer and root beer floats in orange plastic mugs. “I am a Yankee and my great-great-grandfather fought against that Confederate flag. But I live in the South and the South flies that flag and I fly this flag.”

Lora Helou, acting director of the MSU Museum, which produces the festival, said she became aware of the flag on Friday night, when a photo was posted on social media.

“We asked him to take the flag down, and he did,” Helou said. “So, we’re really happy we had that kind of resolution.”

Zemer said he removed the flag because he feared “liberals” would burn his stand down. He cited student disturbances in East Lansing after sports events as examples of violent protests.

Wendy Sellers, of Grand Ledge, and Bill Knapp, of Williamston, helped spread the word about the flag through social media.

Both said the murders of nine parishioners in a black Charleston, S.C., church in June made them more aware of the racist implications the flag has for some in the community.

“I felt like it would exclude some people,” Sellers said.

Zemer said he doesn’t understand the charges of racism and hatred tied to the flag.

”I don’t believe that flag is racist,” Zemer said. “Is the Nazi flag a racist flag?” He paused for several seconds. “I’m not going to go there.”

Sellers and Knapp agreed that Zemer had a First Amendment right to display the flag, as did they to protest.

“It was truly a demonstration of the First Amendment,” Knapp said.

Meanwhile, City Pulse editor and publisher Berl Schwartz filed a complaint with the East Lansing Police Department after Zemer and then one of his employees threw water in his direction Sunday as he was interviewing one of the protesters, City Councilwoman Ruth Beier.

Schwartz said that Zemer threw water from a bucket underneath a table in front of his stand after Zemer announced, “There’s a lot of shit out here.” Beier said Zemer had thrown water in her direction a few minutes earlier as well. The water splashed him and Beier on their feet, Schwartz said.

Beier was among several protesters, some of whom held signs and handed out leaflets with a photo of Zemer’s flag on it.

After Schwartz complained, East Lansing Police Sgt. Andy Bouck spoke to Zemer. He said Zemer told him he had tossed the water to cleanse the area. He said Zemer promised to warn people before he did it again.

Photos: 

Christopher Zemer (right) laughs with customers at his root beer stand at the Great Lakes Folk Festival. His shirt says, "WORK HARD because millions of people on welfare depend on me." Todd Heywood/City Pulse

Protester Terry Scharf holds a sign near Zemer's Homemade Rootbeer stand at the Great Lakes Folk Festival. Todd Heywood/City Pulse