activist climbed up a flagpole outside the South Carolina Statehouse and removed the Confederate flag early Saturday morning -- in a startling, and short-lived, protest against the controversial symbol.

Bree Newsome, 30, of Charlotte, N.C., apparently is part of a group of activists. She and a man who had entered the wrought-iron fence surrounding the flag were arrested after she came back down. And the flag, which is protected by state law, was raised again a short time later.

Sherri Iacobelli, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Safety, said that Newsome and James Ian Tyson, 30, also of Charlotte, have been charged with defacing monuments on state Capitol grounds. That's a misdemeanor that carries a fine of up to $5,000 and a prison term of up to three years or both.

About the time of her arrest, Newsome, who is black, released an email statement to the media. "We removed the flag today because we can't wait any longer. We can't continue like this another day," it said. "It's time for a new chapter where we are sincere about dismantling white supremacy and building toward true racial justice and equality."

The incident is just the latest flare-up in the