U.S. Marine Corps Bans Public Display of Confederate Battle Flag

The Associated Press
The Associated Press
Amy Furr

The United States Marine Corps on Friday ordered that the Confederate flag be removed from all public displays at domestic and international military installations.

“In addition to banning the flag itself, the Marines also forbids displays of the confederate flag via bumper stickers, clothing, mugs, posters or other depictions,” according to Fox 8.

Friday evening, the Marines tweeted the announcement:

The removals would “Support our core values, ensure unit cohesion and security, and preserve good order and discipline,” the tweet read.

The official directive stated:

This directive does not apply to the National Museum of the Marine Corps (NMMC),  or the museums at MCRD San Diego, MCRD Parris Island, or on any other installations which address the Civil War from a neutral, historical, or educational perspective, and are the appropriate venues for such symbols.

The announcement comes after protesters defaced Confederate monuments in multiple cities following the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody on May 25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“The presence of Confederate monuments across the South — and elsewhere in the United States — has been challenged for years, and some of the monuments targeted were already under consideration for removal,” according to the Associated Press (AP).

Overnight on Friday, the Admiral Raphael Semmes Confederate monument was removed from its base in Mobile, Alabama, after standing for almost 120 years.

Mayor Sandy Stimpson claimed the decision was not an attempt to rewrite history because doing so would not change the past.

“It is about removing a potential distraction so we may focus clearly on the future of our city. That conversation, and the mission to create One Mobile, continues today,” he continued.

Resident Ollie Wilson said the decision was “long overdue for the city of Mobile,” adding that she felt the statue was offensive.

However, neighbor Eric Manley disagreed with the removal.

“I don’t think any of them should come down. If we gonna tear down these tear down them all,” he concluded.

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