Video: Tupelo Council Hears From Residents on Mississippi Flag Issue

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – The issue of whether the city of Tupelo will no longer fly the state flag at city hall was a heated topic of discussion at tonight’s council meeting.

The city is waiting for an opinion from the Mississippi Attorney General’s office about the legality of joining other Mississippi cities that have already taken the flag down. At issue is the section of the flag that contains the old Confederate battle flag. At tonight’s council meeting citizens on both sides of the issue addressed the council.

“While some racist groups did indeed hijack the flag out of ignorance of it’s history and construed the flag to represent their twisted beliefs. That does not make the flag racist. That does not make the symbology on the flag racist. That makes those groups racist. ”

“When is the state of Mississippi going to remove the old Confederate battle flag which has become a symbol of hate, racism and white power from our state flag. People will tell you that it represents our heritage, states rights and honors our relatives who fought in the Civil War. But all of this is untrue.”

Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton says the city council will decide the issue once they receive the recommendations from the AG.