Walmart removes Mississippi flag from stores

Shoppers at Walmart in Mississippi won't see their state flag in the store. The retailer said Tuesday it will no longer display the flag while the banner's design is under debate.

The upper left quadrant of Mississippi's flag displays the Confederate flag emblem. The Mississippi Baptist Convention, an association of Baptist churches, says that emblem "hurt and shamed" many people. It is calling for a new flag. It says lawmakers are morally obligated to remove the emblem.

Amid the global demonstrations against racism and police brutality sparked by the death of George Floyd - an unarmed Black man- protestors have demanded that authorities take down monuments, statues and emblems that honor pro-slavery Confederate figures.

Walmart's Canadian operations are also facing pressure. Social media users have complained about links to products sold on the Walmart Canada site such as an "All Lives Matter" shirt.

Walmart said that shirt was sold and shipped by a third-party seller. It said it was reviewing items in its "third-party marketplace" that contain variations of the phrase, "lives matter."