Red, white and blue flags waved Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of Academy Sports and Outdoors on University Drive, but it wasn’t the star-spangled banner seen hours earlier on the Fourth of July.
A group of about 40 people, some coming from as far as Arlington, sat on truck tailgates, proudly displaying the battle flag of the Confederate Army along with American, Texas and Gadsden flags in what they called a “rebel flag rally.”
The Confederate flag and other memorabilia are under scrutiny following a racially motivated shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, that left nine dead last month. Some see the flag as a symbol of racism from the Civil War, but proponents say it serves as a symbol of their way of life.
“It became a symbol of states’ rights, then it became a symbol of the heritage of the South,” Denton resident Rachel Jones said. “Slavery was just a check on someone else’s agenda during the war.”
She said these pieces of fabric hold a special meaning for her and her family.
“My husband served in the Marines and he fought for all these flags, the Confederate included,” Jones said.
Demonstrations like the one in Denton have been popping up around the country as large retailers like Wal-Mart, Amazon and eBay cease sales of Confederate merchandise. The hashtag #HeritageNotHate sparked nationwide discussion on Twitter, and more protests are planned in the future.
Denton resident and co-organizer Ricky Heavern said demonstrators in Florida and Georgia have been kicked off Wal-Mart property.
He said if their group was asked to leave, they would start a convoy.
“Our stopping point was going to be Texas Motor Speedway, but they said we weren’t allowed,” he said. “Right now, we’re just hanging out and showing our support.”
Management at Academy declined to comment officially but said they were aware of the situation and had contacted the store supervisor.
Academy spokeswoman Elise Hasbrook said the sporting goods retailer doesn’t allow protests or demonstrations at any locations. She said the group was asked to move away from the portion of the lot in front of the Denton store.
“We’re looking into whether or not they were on company property since the parking lot is shared by the strip mall,” Hasbrook said.
Some passers-by honked in solidarity with the group, but some customers remained wary of the sight, many staring from across the lot.
“It just makes me feel very uncomfortable,” Denton resident Krista Smith said.
A Denton police officer approached the group and asked what they were doing but didn’t ask them to leave.
Although there is no legislation banning individuals from displaying the Confederate flag on the grounds of free speech, those assembled in the parking lot made it clear they weren’t backing down as some states pass laws to ban the flag from government property.
“I’m not taking my flags down,” said Pilot Point resident Danny White, who displayed his motorcycle with the battle flag as well as the Mississippi state flag. “They’ll take my life before they take my flags away.”
CAITLYN JONES can be reached at 940-566-6845 and via Twitter at @CjonesDRC.
