“Sends a clear message”: Watertown bans public flag raising

WATERTOWN, NY (WWTI) — The City of Watertown will no longer be conducting public flag raisings.

The Watertown City Council has issued a new policy regarding flags at City Hall. On May 6, the City Council voted to ban any public raising of flags other than the American, state, POW-MIA and Tree City USA flags.

Watertown Mayor Sarah Compo-Pierce and every member of the city council except Cliff Olney supported the new policy. Olney protested the ban because he said it disregarded many members of the community.

“Many years have gone by where we have raised these flags in support of different groups,” Olney said. “It’s the city’s right to defend and present to the public our inclusiveness and our belief in supporting that inclusiveness for the different minority groups that we have in the city.”

Many community groups attended the May 6 city council meeting to protest the policy.

Flags representing other nations, Juneteenth and the LGBTQ+ community are now prohibited. This includes the Jewish flag which was last raised on May 14.

Watertown’s flag policy was adopted in part out of fear of protests and violence amid ongoing global tensions, Mayor Compo-Pierce explained at the city council meeting.

However, Olney said the ban would only hurt the city.

“This sends a clear message that we do not endorse diversity and we are not going to endorse it publicly either,” he said. “And if you want to do it at home, of course you can. And we always have been. It is the right that every citizen has. But for the city to step back from its responsibility, I believe, to accept and publicly recognize these different groups, I think it’s unfortunate.

Following the ban, Watertown will proceed with the final two previously scheduled flag raisings. These include Juneteenth and Watertown Pride in June.

ABC50 has contacted the Watertown mayor’s office and is awaiting a response.