A flag flown in support of law enforcement at Bloomington City Hall this month was an insult to residents and a tone-deaf gesture in a year dominated by talk of the need for police reform, a group of activists said Thursday.
The “Thin Blue Line” flag was raised for one week starting May 16 in recognition of National Police Week, a move Mayor Tim Busse shouldn’t have taken, said Tahm Loyd, a member of the Bloomington Antiracist Coalition.
“If your constituents are telling you and the council that the flag is racist, offensive and openly hostile, why did you even consider flying it in the first place?” Loyd said at a news conference Thursday morning alongside community members and activists including Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein and NAACP Minnesota President Angela Rose Myers.
Hussein asked Busse to apologize, and for the Bloomington City Council to pass a resolution banning the flying of the flag in the future.
Busse, in a video posted to Facebook, said he heard from people who were upset about the flag’s appearance at Civic Plaza, the complex that includes City Hall. Busse added that he understands some people view the flag as a racist and divisive symbol. The city has raised the flag over Civic Plaza for the past three years to commemorate National Police Week, and the police department requested it again this year in an “honorable” request, Busse said.
“I don’t believe for one second that there was a racist or threatening or insulting intent,” he said.
The debate in Bloomington joins others across the state and nationwide over the appearance and meaning of the police flag. Law enforcement leaders in some communities have defended the symbol, while others have said that its original meaning has been co-opted by racists and insurrectionists and that it should no longer be flown.
Busse said in his video that he would have a community discussion before agreeing to raise the flag again if the police department requests it next year.
___
(c)2021 the Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
Visit the Star Tribune (Minneapolis) at www.startribune.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
—-
This content is published through a licensing agreement with Acquire Media using its NewsEdge technology.
What do you know—more people offended over something. There must be a real need for counseling and therapy in this country—all these sensitive little fuzzballs being picked on and traumatized. In the age of Media and Social Media, everybody wants their grievances to be front and center and they have to have their legal challenges and their TV time so we can all see what a sorry bunch we are to causing such misery and emotional distress.
Beam me up, Scottie. If there was any intelligent life here, it seems to have vanished.
Maybe that’s why we see all these UFO’s just fly by and never land. CAUSE THEY DETECT NO intelligent life here, to interact with!
If the federal government (i.e., Department of State) can require our embassies to fly the Black Lives Matter flag (see https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/555525-us-embassies-around-the-world-fly-blm-flags-on-anniversary), which is divisive and offensive to many, then other governmental offices should be allowed to fly the Blue Lives Matter flag.
ESPECIALLY WHEN Its done to HONOR COPS during a week set FOR honoring the police..
minnesota is dead to me just like california,oregon,washington,colorado.
As a one time fan of the Might ducks series of films, i used to like Minnesota.. NOW DAYS YOU COULDN’T pay me to even SET FOOT in that state, let alone visit it or move there…
The police should just quit their jobs in the inner cities, we can wall off the inner cities and the criminals / less than humans will kill each other off and in 5 years no everyone in the inner cities will be dead due to crime, so in essence the inner cities will be “bleach bitted”!
AND DO the same to the communities these mayors/governors and state/city politicians live in..
ALSO WITH NO COPS there, there will also be NO EMT OR FIRE Services responding..
“Tahm Loyd, a member of the Bloomington Antiracist Coalition.”
“If your constituents are telling you and the council that the flag is racist, offensive and openly hostile,” HUH??
A Flag with a blue line on it is racist, offensive and openly hostile??
It would appear that the Bloomington City constituents are hateful Democrats.
Note that “racist” is the Democrat Party’s new go to word.
Like “sexual harassment” NO Proof is require to be found guilty by Democrats,
Only an allegation is required to be found guilty by the Democrats.
Nancy Pelosi admitted an unfortunate truth about her fabricated impeachment “farce”
– It hinges on witness’s “allegations” not “proof”.
Pelosi Impeachment: “It’s Not A Question” Of “Proof” It’s About “Allegations”
https://youtu.be/7dzhIxeF204
How about those who object to police be put on a No Law Enforcement Response list – sorta like the No Fly list.
Apparently there are a lot of loudmouth politicians, race baiters, Marxists & Islam radicals out there who would rather not have police respond if they or their families become victims of violent crimes.
I’ve been saying that since this whole farce started.. ALL THOSE who advocate for defunding the police, should be put on a “DO NOT RESPOND” to list… REGARDLESS of what their 911 call is about.
Police reform is necessary. So is criminal reform. There should be crimes that criminals can agree should not be committed. Even bystander reform is necessary. Reform of crime reportage would help to complete the package.
THIS BLOOMINGTON CITY’S RESIDENTS ARE TOTALLY STUPID. EVERY COP IN THAT LIBTURD CITY SHOULD QUIT THE POLICE DEPT. AND GRANT THE “COP HATERS” THEIR WISH, BY HAVING NO COPS AT ALL. THEN LET THE CRIMINALS “DO THEIR THING” AND WAIT TO SEE HOW LONG BEFORE THESE ******** GET KICKED OUT OF TOWN, AND COPS RETURNING TO DO THEIR JOBS.
This idiot deserves to be violently carjacked.
What about the citizens that don’t object to flag and want it flown? Do they have a say in the matter? I don’t want any of these snowflakes to ever call the police if they are being car jacked, shot at, robbed or raped. They need to accept the consequences of their decisions.
These days. NO their voice doesn’t matter. JUST the voices of the anti-american NAY SAYERS, commie lovers and anarchs seem to matter.