A volunteer firefighter in Hartland, Minnesota has been suspended for flying a Confederate flag from a fire truck in the town's Independence Day parade.

Firefighter Brian Nielsen was apologetic to any he might have offended but explained that he only intended to protest politicians' embrace of political correctness and popular sentiment.

"I take full responsibility for what I did," said Nielsen. "Probably shouldn’t have done it with our fire truck."

"I don’t want it to be a circus I’m apologetic to citizens of Hartland if that’s the case," he said.

Explaining that he does not even personally own a Confederate flag – having to borrow one from a friend for the demonstration – Nielsen said he was attempting to express his opposition to politically correct attempts to "change history."

"Where are they going to stop? We've got to change everything, we've got to change history," he said.

"I feel bad for the families down there but it wasn’t the flag that did it," Nielsen said, referencing the families impacted by the horrific massacre in an historic black church in Charleston by a white supremacist.

"Black and white we are all one, there is no color. I've got a black stepbrother nieces and nephews," Nielsen said.

After his demonstration found its way online, the city responded by suspending him.

Video via CBS Minnesota.