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Military Academy Says Black West Point Cadets Will Not Be Punished For Raised Fists Photo

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP)-- Sixteen black West Point cadets who posed with raised fists for a pre-graduation picture won't be punished for the gesture.

The U.S. Military Academy said Tuesday it concluded the group photo didn't violate any Department of Defense rules limiting political activity. West Point says in a statement an internal inquiry found the picture of the 16 female cadets captured a spur-of-the-moment gesture intended to demonstrate unity and pride.

The decision comes with the seniors poised to graduate May 21.

The academy said they were investigating the photo earlier this week.

Conservative bloggers believed the pose supports the Black Lives Matter movement, but the cadets said the gesture is nothing more than a symbol of unity and solidarity.

As CBS2's Dick Brennan reported, the female cadets took three group photos, but the one with the raised fists has also raised eyebrows.

The picture was sent to bloggers and The Army Times newspaper last week by people who were concerned it was a statement about police killings of unarmed African Americans.

Defense Department rules say, "…members on active duty should not engage in partisan political activity…"

"We follow orders from a chain of command, and for everyone to be out there just giving their own opinions would be absolutely detrimental to good order and discipline," Brig Gen Smith said.

Mary Tobin, a 2003 West Point graduate, mentors four of the women in the photograph. She said the cadets were merely showing pride at their accomplishments.

"They had no idea that the photograph would be viewed through any negative lens," she said.

Tobin also said there is a tradition at the academy of posing in 'old corps' photos. A way for current cadets to pay homage to earlier generations.

"Some of us need to check our biases at the door and ask ourselves — why do we find something negative in that picture? Instead of finding something positive," Tobin said.

In sports, the raised fist has been a symbol of success as well as defiance.

Beyonce used it earlier this year at the Super Bowl halftime show and was accused of paying tribute to the Black Panthers a militant black power group.

Tobin said the cadets are not aligned with any political movements.

"This whole incident is a distraction to them. Their worry is that soldiers within their units that they will be leading soon will have an unfair impression about them," Tobin said.

The cadets in the photo are 16 of the 17 black women in the class of 2016 set to graduate in less than two weeks.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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