Grand Prairie-based Six Flags on Friday replaced the long flying Confederate flag with flags of the United States as it reluctantly weighed in on the debate over monuments to the country's fractured history.

In announcing the change, the nation's largest regional theme park issued a statement focused on unity.

"We always choose to focus on celebrating the things that unite us vs. those that divide us," said spokeswoman Sharon Parker. "As such, we have changed the flag displays in our park to feature American flags."

Parker stressed that the park used the Confederate States flag, also known as the Stars and Bars, which is different from the so-called red Confederate battle flag with the prominent blue X.

The flag was one of six meant to symbolize the history of Texas, representing Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas and the Confederacy.

As of Friday, all non-U.S. flags had been removed and replaced with the Stars and Stripes at Six Flags over Texas in Arlington, Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio and Six Flags Over Georgia.

A separate flag flew at the chain's park in St. Louis, which also has been switched to the U.S. flag.

"As of this morning, all domestic Six Flags parks are flying the American flag," Parker said. "We feel as if everyone can appreciate our wanting to fly the American flag."

Ever since white supremacist Dylann Roof shot and killed nine people two summers ago during a prayer service at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, a historically black church in Charleston, S.C., many Americans have demanded the removal of Confederate symbols from the public square.

"That specific flag has become a point of dissension in our country," Parker said. "Six Flags is about bringing people together to have fun and create fond, long-lasting memories. We want to focus on positive symbols that everyone can support."

Officials with the Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans declined to comment. Other Confederate heritage groups did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment.

Michael Phillips is a professor of history at Collin College in Plano, who has studied race relations in North Texas. He said Six Flags' move is not surprising now, given the "conflation" of Confederate symbols and Nazi symbols at a "Unite the Right" rally last weekend.

Protests turned violent in Charlottesville, Va., as white supremacists clashed with counterdemonstrators. A car plowed into the crowd of anti-fascist protesters, killing one woman and injuring at least 19 others.

Images carried around the world showed the two flags —Nazi and Confederate — carried side by side.

"The reality has changed dramatically after that incident," said Phillips. "The alt-right borrowed these symbols" of the Confederate flag. For most major businesses "it's absolute product poison post-Charlottesville."

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