After weeks of wrangling, the Pentagon on Friday will ban displays of the Confederate flag on military installations, in a carefully worded policy that doesn't mention the word ban or that specific flag. The policy, laid out in a memo obtained by The Associated Press, was described by officials as a creative way to bar the flag's display without openly contradicting or angering U.S. President Donald Trump, who has defended people's rights to display it.
Signed by Defence Secretary Mark Esper on Thursday night, the memo lists the types of flags that may be displayed at military installations. The Confederate flag is not among them -- thus barring its display without singling it out in a "ban." Details of the policy, which is expected to be released Friday, were first reported by the AP.
Confederate flags, monuments and military base names have become a national flashpoint in the weeks since the death of George Floyd. Protesters decrying racism have targeted Confederate monuments in multiple cities. Some state officials are considering taking them down, but they face vehement opposition in some areas.
According to Esper's memo, the display of unauthorized flags -- such as the Confederate banner carried during the Civil War -- is acceptable in museums, historical exhibits, works of art or other educational programs. The other three military services were all moving to enact similar bans, but they paused when Esper made it known he wanted a consistent policy across the whole department. Now they will instead issue this new policy to their troops and employees.
Esper discussed the matter with senior leaders during a meeting Wednesday, including some of the legal issues surrounding a variety of bans, which some officials believe could be challenged in court.
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