Confederate flag: Republican calls for 'symbol of hate' removal

The House of Representatives in South Carolina has voted to take down the Confederate flag from capitol grounds after an "impassioned and sometimes tearful" debate.

Republican representative Jenny Horne was among those calling for the flag's removal.

The backlash against the emblem grew when a gunman who killed nine black people at a Charleston church last month was pictured holding the flag.

Speaking during the debate, Ms Horne said: "I cannot believe that we do not have the heart in this body to do something meaningful, such as take a symbol of hate off these grounds on Friday."