TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - The Tucson Rodeo Parade committee will no longer allow the Confederate flag to be displayed in the annual event that dates back to 1925, officials said Thursday.
The group said it will continue to use the “Stars and Bars” flag in the procession’s color guard alongside all the flags of government entities that have governed Tucson, including the flags of Spain and Mexico.
The decision was made during a committee meeting Tuesday night after concerns were raised last week by Tucson City Councilwoman Lane Santa Cruz.
She submitted an opinion piece to the Arizona Daily Star and others stating that she had heard several complaints from residents of her west-side district about the presence of the Confederate flag in the parade, and labeled it a “symbol of slavery, oppression and white supremacy.”
Removing the Confederate banners from the parade received the support of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, who added that the flag “has no place in the rodeo parade or elsewhere in our community.”
The large red flag with a blue “X” adorned with 13 stars was one of the flags of the Army of Northern Virginia.
Romero said the committee should instead recognize the city’s history by including the Tohono O’odham and Pascua Yaqui flags.
Tucson Rodeo Parade official Herb Wagner said the committee decided to ban the use of the Confederate flag after determining that it was never flown in Tucson but rather during battles in the eastern United States.
Representatives from the Sons of Confederate Veterans said the group has been riding in the Tucson Rodeo Parade for more than two decades and acknowledged they get complaints about the flag.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.