NEW YORK—Calling it a "contemporary symbol of divisiveness and
racism," eBay said Tuesday it would ban the sale of Confederate
flags and similarly themed merchandise.
"This decision is consistent with our long-standing policy that
prohibits items that promote or glorify hatred, violence and racial
intolerance," said eBay spokeswoman Johnna Hoff.
The e-commerce company is the latest to prohibit the sale of
Confederate merchandise following Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Sears
Holdings Corp. The shooting deaths of nine black church members
last week in South Carolina has reignited debate on what the flag
symbolizes.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said this week that the
Confederate flag should be removed from the Statehouse grounds
EBay Inc., based in San Jose, Calif., said it would begin
notifying sellers of its decision and begin removing items that
contain the Confederate flag on Tuesday. A search for "Confederate
flag" brought up 1,400 listings, including pins, watches, ties,
hats and sunglasses with an image of the flag on it.
Rival Amazon.com Inc., which also sells Confederate flags and
other items on its site, didn't respond to requests for
comment.
Copyright 2015 the Associated Press.
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