Veterans group, residents seek removal of Black Lives Matter flag at Barrington Town Hall
-
Veterans group, residents seek removal of Black Lives Matter flag at Barrington Town Hall
BARRINGTON, R.I. (WJAR) — Flying under the stars and stripes above the veterans memorial at Barrington Town Hall, a Black Lives Matter flag blows in the wind, to the dismay of some local veterans and residents who feel it's "too political."
"There's no way you can accommodate every organization and every interest group," said Paul Dulchinos, president of Barrington's United Veterans Council.
On Monday, veterans and residents held a rally outside town hall, calling on the council to remove the flag. Dulchinos said it sends a political message that not everyone supports flying outside town hall.
"All Black lives matter, but the problem is, the national organization has ulterior motives and a different agenda and you can't separate the two," he told NBC 10 News Monday. "And that goes for any banner of any organization."
Town Manager Jim Cunha said he made the decision to add the flag to the town's flagpole in August after an alleged racial incident between two residents was caught on camera and sparked outrage and protests.
"I'm a 30-year Navy veteran, so I know where they're coming from, but I also think the stars and stripes represents everyone," Cunha told NBC 10 in an interview Monday. "All men and women are created equal. And to fly the Black Lives Matter flag under the stars and stripes, to me, is exactly what we're trying to say. The message is, we protect all and right now, it's the Black lives that need protection."
Laura Larrivee said she supports black lives but believes the message shouldn't share a stage with the American flag.
"This flagpole should be for the American flag and we should not have any political flags with that flag," she said, adding a flag supporting police officers wouldn't be appropriate either. "It's the American flag, the Prisoner of War flag and the state flag."
