BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — Branson, Missouri, may be known for its country music shows and wholesome entertainment, but the tourist hot spot now finds itself at the center of a standoff over Confederate symbolism.
Protesters have been gathering outside a strip mall store Dixie Outfitters, which specializes in Confederate flags, clothing and other merchandise. The protests have drawn people from opposing sides of the debate — Black Lives Matter demonstrators, as well as those who support the store and the Confederate flag.
Confederate statutes, the flag and other symbols have drawn new scrutiny and criticism amid protests that followed the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd.