South Carolina taking down the confederate flag – a signal of good will and healing, and a meaningful step towards a better future.— President Obama (@POTUS) July 10, 2015

Decades of controversy came to a head on Friday, as South Carolina removed the embattled Confederate flag from Statehouse grounds for the final time. The action came as the state’s Senate and House, with support of Gov. Nikki Haley, voted to remove the flag earlier in the week.

A huge crowd cheered on Friday morning as seven color guard officers from the South Carolina Highway Patrol marched to the base of a flagpole on the South Carolina Statehouse grounds. A roar went up from those gathered as the stars and bars were lowered. The divisive symbol now heads via armored car to the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum nearby.

“South Carolina taking down the confederate flag — a signal of good will and healing, and a meaningful step towards a better future,” President Barack Obama tweeted on Friday.

A festive air permeated the scene in Columbia, South Carolina, Friday morning, as chants of “take it down” eventually morphed into “U.S.A.” as the flag was being lowered.