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