Jun 6, 2020 - Politics & Policy

U.S. Marines ban display of Confederate flag

Rebecca Falconer

American and Confederate flags fly at a residence in the Fancy Bluff neighborhood on May 7 — American and Confederate flags fly on May 7 at a residence in the neighborhood where Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, lived in Brunswick, Georgia. He was killed on Feb 23. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images

The U.S. Marines have issued a directive ordering the removal of all public displays of the Confederate flag, including from bumper stickers, posters, mugs, posters and clothing.

Why it matters: In a statement, the Marines said the flag has been "co-opted by violent extremist and racist groups whose divisive beliefs have no place in our Corps."

The big picture: Exceptions to the ban, issued on Friday, include state flags that incorporate the Confederate flag and the gravesites of Confederate soldiers.

Marine Corps commandant Gen. David Berger, said on Wednesday in a statement on the nationwide protests against racism and the killing of George Floyd, "Current events are a stark reminder that it is not enough for us to remove symbols that cause division — rather, we also must strive to eliminate division itself."

Go deeper: 112-year-old Confederate statue in N.C. is removed

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U.S. Marines ban display of Confederate flag

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