Confederate flags placed at Ebenezer church near MLK Center

ATLANTA — Federal authorities and police are investigating after four Confederate battle flags were found on the grounds of the Ebenezer Baptist Church near the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta.

Officer Gary Wade said a maintenance worker discovered the flags at 6 a.m. Thursday and notified the National Park Service, which operates the nearby King Center. Wade said no one saw who placed the flags, which weren't stuck in the ground but instead set neatly on top of it. He said there's at least one security camera for the area. Authorities are reviewing footage.

Wade said a security guard saw a suspicious vehicle across the street from the church Wednesday night, but it wasn't clear whether that was related.

King once preached at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, which is near the new church where the congregation now meets and where the flags were placed.

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