Alabama ? Birmingham’s mayor offered a blanket pardon Tuesday to thousands of demonstrators charged in this cauldron of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, a mostly symbolic forgiveness he acknowledges few may actually want.

Many blacks who braved police dogs and fire hoses say they carry their misdemeanor record with them as a badge of honor.

Mayor Larry Langford said he expects many will reject the mass pardon for that reason, but he felt it was important to offer.

“Sometimes saying you’re sorry does more for the person saying it than the person who was victimized,” Langford, who is black, said during a City Council meeting.