Fairhaven Pride Flags Again Removed Ahead of Sunday Rally

FAIRHAVEN — Residents would be forgiven for thinking its Groundhog Day, as once again, rainbow Pride flags placed outside Fairhaven's town hall have disappeared.

After 100 Pride flags residents placed around the lawn Wednesday evening were removed by a town employee early Thursday morning, the same happened again over the weekend.

WBSM's Brian Thomas reported that around 15 people placed 200 Pride flags in the lawn in front of Fairhaven Town Hall Saturday evening, ahead of a Sunday morning Pride rally.

Brian Thomas/Townsquare Media

"This isn't political," resident Marianne Baptista, one of the people planting Pride flags on Saturday, told Thomas. "It's about including everybody."

Get our free mobile app

According to Thomas, during the flag planting, a Fairhaven police officer approached Baptista to acknowledge the department was aware of the event and stating that police would patrol the area to prevent vandalism.

Brian Thomas/Townsquare Media

But Thomas and others said the rainbow flags were nowhere to be seen at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, when the Pride rally started.

Although attendees reported having a great time at the Sunday morning rally, the twice-removal of the flags did put a bit of a damper on it for some.

Brian Thomas/Townsquare Media

“It’s easy to go to (Provincetown), any big city, or even (New Bedford) for Pride,” attendee Crystal Cruz shared with WBSM News via text. “It’s a much harder, heavy experience to show up in a hate-filled small community and stand strong outside the government building that systematically perpetuates oppression by creating, then subsequently enforcing, anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation through the most petty means unnecessary.”

It is unclear who removed the flags this time around.

Said Baptista, "Maybe we'll plan (a rally) again next year."