It was gone almost before anyone knew it was there, but a Confederate flag strung over Main Street in Smithers over the weekend has raised the ire of community leaders and the incident is under investigation by police.

香蕉视频直播淭he Confederate flag is a specific symbol with a specific history,香蕉视频直播� wrote Smithers acting mayor Casda Thomas and Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach in .

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not only connected with the Confederate States香蕉视频直播� battle during the American Civil War to protect their ability to own Black slaves, but also reappeared as a prominent symbol of white supremacists who organized throughout the 1940s, 50s and 60s to oppose civil rights for African-Americans.

香蕉视频直播淧erhaps more alarming and relevant to the Confederate flag香蕉视频直播檚 use today is its direct ties with the re-emerging White Nationalist and neo-Nazi movement both in the United States and even right here in Canada.香蕉视频直播�

The flag went up early Saturday morning (Oct. 3) and was quickly removed by Town staff, Thomas said.

Smithers RCMP Staff Sgt. Terry Gillespie confirmed there is no law against displaying the flag, but they are investigating the incident as mischief because the perpetrator or perpetrators may have illegally accessed private property in order to accomplish its hanging.

He said no witnesses have come forward and they have no suspects.

The RCMP also has an open file on an incident involving Ministry of Transportation digital traffic signs being hacked the previous weekend. The road paving messages that had been displayed were replaced by messages including 香蕉视频直播淭rump 2020,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淔*** Trudeau,香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淐OVID-19 is a hoax.香蕉视频直播�

Gillespie said investigators have no evidence the two incidents are related, but acknowledged someone inclined to do one, might also be inclined to do the other.

This is not the first time Confederate flags have been raised on Main Street. In 2016, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump was elected, the flag showed up on one of the Town香蕉视频直播檚 flag standards.

For some, raising the flag is a matter of free speech, but for others it rises to the level of hate speech and has been the subject of much debate. In Ohio this summer a bill proposing to prohibit the display and sale of the flag in public spaces was defeated in the State House of Representatives.

Thomas and Bachrach said they want to give whoever hung the flag the benefit of the doubt, but said there is no place for it in Smithers.

香蕉视频直播淭o believe in the best in people means to believe that whoever hung the flag neither understood its connection to neo-Nazis nor intended to cause harm to others,香蕉视频直播� they wrote. 香蕉视频直播淚f that is the case, they have an opportunity to learn. However, if they did intend to cause harm, if they knew exactly what they were doing, then leaders at all levels have a responsibility to act swiftly and decisively in denouncing their actions.香蕉视频直播�

Other leaders from across the political spectrum have also denounced the action.

In a press release Oct. 3, the Wet香蕉视频直播檚uwet香蕉视频直播檈n Din茂香蕉视频直播檢e, Tsak毛香蕉视频直播檢e and Skiy香蕉视频直播檢e said they were disappointed to see the flag on Main Street.

香蕉视频直播淭he confederate flag is widely known as a symbol of white supremacy, the oppression of people of colour, and as a symbol of hate,香蕉视频直播� the release stated. 香蕉视频直播淭hese kinds of racist acts are not acceptable and add further harm to our families香蕉视频直播� wellbeing, especially the wellbeing of our children. We urgently ask for the public assistance to help identify who placed the flag and they be held accountable for their actions.香蕉视频直播�

Stikine provincial election candidate Nathan Cullen took a decidedly angry tone in a Facebook post.

香蕉视频直播淓veryone should live free of intimidation and brutal signs of racism and oppression,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播淲hatever coward strung up a confederate flag on Main St., Smithers 香蕉视频直播� know that you are wrong, unsupported and not going to scare anyone away.香蕉视频直播�

Rod Taylor, who is running against Cullen and a tireless advocate for free speech, however unpopular, downplayed the relevance of the Confederate flag in Canada, but nevertheless was not in favour of it being displayed in Smithers.

香蕉视频直播淚 acknowledge the Confederate flag is not a good symbol,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 no benefit and probably a lot of harm in using it as a display in Canada香蕉视频直播� I just see it stirring up trouble so I would encourage those who have done this to find another way of expressing themselves.香蕉视频直播�

editor@interior-news.com
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