Confederate store in Branson, Missouri, at protests' center

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, who died May 25 after a white officer used a knee to pin down the handcuffed Black man’s neck even after Floyd stopped moving.

The protests in Branson have at times become heated. A video posted on social media showed a woman waving the Confederate flag and telling protesters, “I will teach my grandkids to hate you all,” the Springfield News-Leader reported.

Following a Black Lives Matter demonstration Sunday, the Dixie Outfitters owners thanked supporters and called protesters “thugs” on another social media post.

The post thanked police and a group of people who prayed, then stated, “These thugs don’t just hate us...they hate our country! They hate patriotism, faith and freedom! But God still reigns over Branson, MO!”

Branson leaders are concerned about the negative attention in a town that thrives on tourism — Branson has just 11,500 full-time residents but draws millions of people each year to shows and attractions that are largely family-oriented. Most of the theaters only recently reopened after weeks of shutdown caused by the coronavirus.

“I don’t think there’s a...