Nearly a dozen Cleveland police officers and their families reportedly caused a group of hundreds of protesters to support the “thin blue line” flag on Friday after being banned by the Ohio School District this week.
The rally came after horrific news that a Cleveland police officer had been fatally shot on Thursday night. Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the death of Cleveland Police Detective James Scarenwitz.
The shooting date of CO Land Fisher was accepted by another COP
“My husband is a Cleveland police officer and my son is a Cleveland police officer. I have two of them and they are dear to my heart when one of them is killed, “said Donna Glowaki, a protester in Cleveland, according to Fox 8.
The flag controversy began when a high school footballer took a pro-police flag to the field before the game last Friday to honor the first responders and his coach, who is also a police officer.
The flag is a black-and-white presentation of the American flag with a bright blue stripe to represent the police.
Ohio School District Banned ‘Finn Blue Line’ Flex After Footbal AL Player Ready To Promote One
Michael P., superintendent of Chardonnay Local School. “This performance will not be part of future pre-game activities in Chardon Athletic competitions,” Hanlon Jr. wrote in a statement Monday. “In addition, steps will be taken by our athletic director to review any planned pre-game displays for possible connections from any type of discrimination or particular political point of view.”
The presence of the flag at the game sparked a debate in the community as to whether it represented innocent support for law enforcement or expressed feelings of anti-Black Live.
Henlow said participating in the field with the flag could be “interpreted as a racially motivated act” and noted that district policy “does not allow engagement in political activity.”
The district determined that the student was only trying to honor law enforcement but nevertheless decided that the flag could be seen as a political statement.
“We’re here to support the police, we need them, we need their protection,” protester Chris Stablo told Fox 8 that the superintendent said this was a political move – what happened in the game was wrong. It was not a political statement. They need to know that most of us Americans, we stand behind them. “
Click here to get the Fox News app
Rally organizer Eric Downing said he was thinking of police officers who responded to the 2012 high school shooting.
“I thought it was really disrespectful for those who ran to school in 2012 to save teachers and students,” he told Fox. “Every day they say goodbye, they say goodbye to their family, they have no idea ‘he can go back, no idea at all and how can you not respect him for your protection?’ He added.
In a Fox 8 report, Black Lives Matter canceled the counter-protest in honor of Detective Scarnivitz.
Michael Ruiz of Fox News contributed to this report.
