More than 200 Pride flags were stolen from a display at a traffic rotary in Carlisle, Massachusetts, in the middle of the night, last week. Within hours, residents came together to replace them all.
Anyone with information on the thefts is asked to call the Carlisle Police Department at (978) 369-1155.
Reports Boston.com:
The flags were placed at the rotary in Carlisle Center at the intersection of Lowell Street, Bedford Road, and Westford Road, Amendola said.
“We are taking this very seriously,” said [the town’s Police Chief Andrew] Amendola in a press release. “It is unfortunate, as Carlisle is an inclusive community, and we want everyone to feel safe and welcomed here.”
The flags were lawfully permitted, Carlisle’s Select Board said in a statement May 30. Board Chairman Travis Snell added that “such action and behavior have no place in Carlisle.”
“Carlisle is an inclusive community that respects the freedoms and the rights of individuals,” Snell said. “Stealing property and undermining freedom of expression is a cowardly act and has no place in our town.”
According to a report by NBC-TV 10:
Within hours of the flags being stolen, people came together to replace them.
Organizers of the Pride event say turnout was larger than expected, perhaps as a show of support in the face of what happened.
“The community response has been overwhelming,” said Pride co-organizer Rachel Gore Free. “People have come out in solidarity.”
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