Alabama town takes down racially charged billboard

SPRINGVILLE, Ala., Jan. 14 (UPI) -- A crew in Alabama took down a controversial billboard Wednesday that read, "Diversity means chasing down the last white person #white genocide."

Springville Mayor William Isley announced Tuesday the billboard company, Dyer Outdoors, and the owner of the land near Interstate 59 had decided to take down the controversial message and the mayor was present when the sign was rolled up by a crew about noon Wednesday.

The billboard sparked controversy in the town for its perceived racist message. Dyer Outdoors said the ad, which the company said it did not see before leasing the sign, led to the company receiving so many calls that bosses unplugged the phones.

Shannon Dyer, co-owner of Dyer Outdoors, said he and his brother will have to pay a couple thousand dollars in refund money to the person who leased the sign.

Dyer Outdoors did not reveal the identity of the person who leased the billboard.

A similar billboard reading, "Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white," was briefly put in place last summer along a stretch of Interstate 29 near Leeds, Ala.

The I-29 billboard was linked to a group called The League of the South. Michael Hill, the group's president, said he did not know whether the group member responsible for the billboard was also behind the Springville sign.

"I think it's a concern about the demographic future of white southerners so that's pretty much my broad take on the message," Hill told WVTM-TV.