NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart says it has removed ammunition and firearms from displays at U.S. stores, citing “civil unrest” in some areas.

The nation’s largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, sells firearms in about half of its 4,700 stores. The discounter said the items remain available for purchase by customers.

Walmart made a similar move in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd that set off sometimes violent demonstrations against police brutality and injustice against African Americans.

Last year, Walmart stopped selling handgun and short-barrel rifle ammunition while requesting that customers not openly carry firearms in its stores, even where state laws allow it.

The company also ended the sale of handguns in Alaska, the only state where the discounter sold them

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