The inauguration of Mayor Daniel Lurie of San Francisco On Wednesday, the sq. in entrance of Metropolis Corridor had all of it: outstanding audio system, a packed viewers and performers starting from Chinese language lion dancers to a homosexual males’s refrain.
However eagle-eyed observers might need seen one thing was lacking. Or, actually, 18 lacking issues. Two rows of 9 historic banners, generally known as the American Flag Pavilion, disappeared from the sq.. Of their place have been 18 mild blue flags matching town seal.
A brand new day in San Francisco? No. Not on the entrance of the flag, anyway. Friday morning, the elders have been again, swollen by the breeze.
The town flag assortment attracted attention in May when a San Francisco resident raised issues that the quintessentially liberal metropolis was flying the “Name to Heaven” flag, which had additionally been noticed outdoors. Justice Samuel A. Alito’s vacation home in New Jersey.
Initially flown by George Washington’s ships through the Revolutionary Struggle as a logo of rebel towards the British, the white flag with a inexperienced pine tree has since turn out to be related to the “Cease the Steal” motion. Some rioters wore it as they stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in search of to forestall Joseph R. Biden Jr. from being licensed because the winner of the presidential election.
Critics stated Justice Alito ought to recuse himself from instances associated to the Jan. 6 assault for displaying the flag, however he doesn’t haveclaiming that his spouse was liable for the theft.
Mayor London Breed, who lost to Mr. Lurie through the November election, he eliminated the “Name to Heaven” flag from town’s show in Might and changed it with an American flag. She stated on the time that she would think about eradicating others that have been provocative, however she didn’t find yourself doing so earlier than leaving workplace.
Gadsden’s flag, a yellow banner with a coiled rattlesnake and the phrases “Do not Tread on Me,” nonetheless flew beneath his watch — and once more on Friday, beneath that of Mr. Lurie — who turned related to the motion and the Tea Occasion conservative weapons. passionate and is taken into account by some to have racist connotations.
The Betsy Ross Flag, a Revolutionary Struggle flag with 13 stars in a circle, additionally nonetheless flies. This flag has additionally turn out to be controversial, adopted by some far-right teams to represent a time when white males held all the ability. Nike even removed its sneakers with the flag in 2019 on the request of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who stated the flag was linked to slavery.
The Gadsden flag and the Betsy Ross flag have been carried by the January 6 rioters. A spokesman for Mr. Lurie stated Friday that the mayor would evaluate the present flag assortment.
Since 1964, the San Francisco Pavilion has displayed flags which have performed an vital position within the nation’s historical past. A Accomplice flag flew for 20 years earlier than a protester tore it down twice and Mayor Dianne Feinstein determined, after the second time, to not reinstall it.
On Wednesday, the flags quickly disappeared. The sunshine blue replacements matched the numerous banners hanging from lamp posts, the a lot bigger banners hanging from the facade of Metropolis Corridor, and the fanciful packages handed out to friends.
The night of the occasion was even larger: a avenue occasion in Chinatown with fireworks and a efficiency by digital music producer Zhu.
A marketing campaign spokesman for Mr. Lurie, an inheritor to the Levi Strauss fortune who spent practically $9 million of his personal cash on his marketing campaign, declined to say how a lot the decor and festivities value or who paid for it. all this. He stated the revelations could be made public inside 30 days of the inauguration, as required by legislation.
Occasion producer Stanlee Gatti designed the inauguration and stated the sunshine blue signifies hope. He stated he would encourage the brand new mayor to be taught concerning the historical past of the flags and why they have been taken over by teams just like the Jan. 6 rioters.
“Completely different individuals interpret issues in several methods,” he stated. “But when it turns into one thing anti-American, yeah, positive, I believe they need to eliminate it.”
Mr. Gatti famous that San Franciscans would possibly respect the inclusion of a delight flag supporting LGBTQ rights.
The choice on which flags will keep or go is totally as much as the mayor, and a brand new directive could possibly be coming quickly. Charles Kretchmer Lutvak, a spokesman for Mr. Lurie, stated the administration systematically returned the gathering after the ornamental dedication.
However when requested why some controversial banners remained up, he stated the mayor would look into them.
“The symbols we show ought to mirror the perfect of our communities and our metropolis,” he stated.
