Several major retailers have joined Walmart in halting sales of the Confederate flag and related merchandise. The announcements come in response to last week's horrific shooting deaths of nine people in a historic black church in Charleston, SC. The suspect, Dylann Storm Roof, has appeared in photos displaying the banner. Walmart has said it will remove all Confederate-themed items from its website and store shelves.
The debate over the meaning of the flag has been reawakened following last week’s tragedy. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has stated that the flag should be removed from Statehouse grounds, while a top Mississippi lawmaker has called for the removal of the emblem from that state's flag. Online retailer Amazon.com will also be pulling Confederate flag items from its website.
Elsewhere, online auction house eBay has said it will ban the sale of the flags and similar Confederate-themed items. Sears will be removing items from its website. It does not sell any merchandise pertaining to the flag in its Sears or K-mart stores. [CRA]
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