Pride flag vandalized again in Missoula

The Import Market, a retail business located across from the Missoula County Courthouse on West Broadway in Missoula, posted the video on social media last week.

The video clearly shows a man jumping to grab the Pride flag, ripping it off the canopy, and throwing it into a nearby trash can. Two weeks earlier, on June 12, the company had posted a video of a group of people ripping a Pride flag off and throwing it into a trash can.

Along with the most recent video, the business owner (who did not respond to a request for comment from the Missoulian) posted a message.

“I hate posting this, I almost didn’t because of the negative reaction of the latter, but vandalism is vandalism, theft is theft and I will not tolerate it,” the message said.I am tired of seeing people walking around downtown, being destructive and taking what they want. This has to stop. I am not the only business affected here. This is not the Missoula I was born and raised in, and I am determined to be the light in this darkness that no one wants to talk about.

June is Pride Month in the United States, and the nonprofit Western Montana LGTBQ+ Community Center posted on social media that it had also seen pride flags vandalized in June.

The owner of the Import Market filed a complaint with the Missoula Police Department and Detective Ethan Smith is investigating.

““We have been flying flags for years, and it saddens me that suddenly people think it is acceptable to tear down something they don’t agree with,” Import Market wrote.I also want to apologize for the vandalistic posts that have been popping up in our company lately. Quite honestly, it’s exhausting me so much that I don’t even have the energy to post bright and joyful things.

A Missoula Police Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the new incident was under investigation.