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That includes eliminating any depictions of the flag, from individual offices and storage spaces to naval vessels and government vehicles.
Depictions include things like mugs, bumper stickers and posters — as well as, of course, the actual flag.
“Our history as a nation, and events like the violence in Charlottesville in 2017, highlight the divisiveness the use of the Confederate battle flag has had on our society.”
Exclusions do exist though, including educational or historical displays, state flags that incorporate the Confederate flag or Confederate soldiers’ grave sites.
Though the ruling directs commanders to issue lawful orders to remove the Confederate flag, the ruling doesn’t detail a specific date when the removal should take place or any consequences of not abiding by the new rule.
The order gives all responsibility and authority to unit commanders, and implores them to consult their staff when encountering “questionable situations.”
The division of Confederate symbols
Symbols of the Confederacy, including the flag, have created a division in the country. Many say the flag is a racist symbol representing the war to uphold slavery, while supporters call it a sign of Southern pride and heritage.
Still, the flag specifically has in recent years become a rallying symbol for white supremacists.
And during the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, referenced in Friday’s directive, white nationalists protested the removal of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s statue. Afterward, it was revealed that the leader of Vanguard America — a white supremacist group that helped organize the rally — was a former Marine recruiter.
The military’s relationship with Confederate symbols
Following the reports of the former Marine recruiter’s involvement with Vanguard America, then-Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller said there is “no place for racial hatred or extremism in the Marine Corps.”
That’s a jump from 2019, when only 22% reported the same.
And it’s not just racist language. Poll participants reported witnessing swastikas on service members’ cars, tattoos affiliated with white supremacist groups, stickers supporting the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi-style salutes between peers, according to the Military Times.
CNN’s Alicia Lee contributed to this report.
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