North Andover raises Palestinian flag on town common after free speech debate
NORTH ANDOVER - North Andover officially raised the Palestinian flag on the town common after passionate debate.
The decision to fly the flag was announced after more than an hour of testimony was heard from residents at a meeting Monday night.
The auditorium was packed with people who split into two lines waiting to address the town select board. One line was those who support flying the Palestinian flag and the other was those who believe it is a symbol of support for Hamas.
Even before the meeting, it seemed the board had already made their decision. The town manager said in a statement that a resident submitted the petition for the Palestinian flag just six hours before the town stopped accepting applications to fly flags, which means it needs to be considered under the old rules.
According to a recent Supreme Court decision, the town flagpole is considered a public forum and is protected under free speech.
After an hour of listening to residents, the board quickly approved the application, with the caveat it does not express the stance of the town of North Andover.
The Palestinian flag was raised on the town common Tuesday morning. It is the last time a resident's request to fly a flag will be honored.