Major retailers pull Confederate flags from shelves and online stores

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Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Protesters hold a sign during a rally to take down the Confederate flag at the South Carolina Statehouse, Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in Columbia, S.C.
Protesters hold a sign during a rally to take down the Confederate flag at the South Carolina Statehouse, Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in Columbia, S.C.
kgo-AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Major retailers are pulling Confederate flags from their shelves and websites in the wake of the AME Emanuel Church mass shooting in South Carolina.

Photos surfaced of shooting suspect Dylann Roof holding the flag, which has reignited the debate on what the flag symbolizes.

Businesses including Walmart, Sears, Kmart Amazon and eBay are ceasing sales of the flag immediately.

However, the companies that make Confederate flags and Confederate-themed products expect sales to surge, at least temporarily.