A small group of protesters took Bank of America to task on Friday afternoon, expressing their continuing displeasure over the way the bank handled the placement of United States flags that were meant to honor a local hero. “This isn't just a flag,” said Adam Childers, who organized the effort. The protest didn’t last all that long and, technically, watchful Gaffney police officers outnumbered the protesters.

That didn’t matter to Adam Fisher and Adam Childers, however, as they stood along West Floyd Baker Boulevard on Friday outside the Bank of America branch office.

“It’s not how many people came out,” Fisher said. “It’s that somebody came out to take a stand.”

About eight people joined together in protest outside Bank of America to demonstrate their continuing displeasure over a Sept. 15 incident during which United States flags placed along the front of the bank property reportedly were removed by a bank manager.

Local resident Brenda Earls had been placing the flags along West Floyd Baker Boulevard on Sept. 15 in honor of a young Marine who died from injuries sustained in Afghanistan. She said she was told by the branch manager the flags were removed because of corporate policy.

Bank of America quickly apologized when contacted and termed the incident a “misunderstanding.” It had flags on its property by the following morning and flew flags on the property the remainder of the week.

But the situation touched off a firestorm of criticism and the controversy only escalated when Cherokee County Council voted to remove county funds from Bank of America and the story gained traction in the national media.

Childers, who said he hastily organized Friday’s protest through a posting on the Internet, stressed that the demonstration wasn’t aimed at the branch employees but at Bank of America’s corporate policies.

Signs carried by some of the protesters contained messages such as “Bank of where?” Other signs urged people to “honk for the troops” and “close your account.”

Dozens of drivers passing by during the protest honked their horns in approval.

Childers said he closed his account with Bank of America on Friday and was told he was far from alone.

“They (the bank) said they did lose a lot of accounts because of it and continually lose accounts because of it,” he said.

Bank of America spokesman T.J. Crawford couldn’t go into detail but did confirm Friday that the branch manager for the West Floyd Baker Boulevard office no longer works there.

“For privacy reasons we cannot comment further on the associate,” he said.

Crawford also reiterated an apology from the bank.

“Bank of America apologizes for this error in judgment by one individual and the concern it has caused,” he said.

Crawford said the bank’s “longstanding flag policy is that we encourage the display of the American flag at each of our facilities, including our 6,100 banking centers, provided they have the capability to do so.”

Crawford also said the bank is a proud supporter of servicemen, servicewomen and their families, both through recruitment for bank positions and through bank programs.

At the same time as the protest, family members of some bank employees stood across the street pleading for the uproar to come to an end.

In letters to the editor last week, family members of a bank employee said employees have been receiving threats, and have been living in fear for their safety.