Elizabeth Warren calls to remove Confederate monuments ‘and put them in museums where they belong’

Ms Warren is running for the Democratic nomination for president

(AP)

Senator Elizabeth Warren says that the Confederate flag is getting tossed if she becomes president.

Ms Warren waded into the contentious debate during a town hall hosted by CNN, saying that she would take action as president to remove the divisive symbol — regardless of the argument that the flag celebrates heritage, not hate.

“As a presidential hopeful, do you have any plans on addressing the removal, or lack thereof, of the reminders of the nation’s dark past, or have any plans on preserving the nation’s history in a way that explains it in a more education sense versus showing praise to the losing side?” an audience member asked.

Ms Warren responded forcefully, saying she would “support removing Confederate celebrations from federal land and putting them in museums, where they belong”.

The Confederate flag has re-emerged in national debate over the past few years as advocates have urged leaders to remove the symbol, which was flown by the Confederate army during the Civil War.

The issue gained particular salience following the 2015 church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, and again following the 2017 white supremacist demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia.

In response to the Charlottesville protest — which were organised in support of a Confederate monument, and left one counter-demonstrator dead — Donald Trump suggested that there were good people on both sides of the demonstrations, and refused to denounce white supremacy.

That apparent refusal to denounce white supremacy resulted in widespread criticism, and added fuel to the effort in localities across the country to remove the monuments and symbols of hate that the confederacy often represents.