Calls to Remove US Rebel Flag Grow

A day after lawmakers in South Carolina called for the removal of the Confederate battle flag, pressure is mounting elsewhere in the US to retire symbols of Confederacy. Efforts are under way in at least three other states to remove state-sponsored Confederate tributes. Protesters rallied in South Carolina on Tuesday to demand the immediate removal of the flag from the State House and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has said the flag should come down. The Confederate battle flag is seen by some as an icon of slavery and racism while others say the banner symbolizes their heritage and history. The murder of nine parishioners at a historical black church in Charleston, South Carolina, last week renewed debate about the place of the flag in US culture. The suspect, Dylann Roof, has appeared in many photos holding the flag.