Jun 6
Over 200 Pride Flags Stolen in Massachusetts Town Just Before Pride Month
Bobby Grady READ TIME: 2 MIN.
NBC News reported over 200 pride flags were stolen just days before the start of Pride Month, in Carlisle, Massachusetts.
Per a news release from the Carlisle Police the flags were taken overnight Monday May 27 and they were last seen the prior Sunday. They were located at the rotary in the center of town near the intersection of Lowell Street, Bedford and Westford roads.
"We are taking this very seriously," said police Chief Andrew Amendola in the Carlisle Police news release. "It is unfortunate, as Carlisle is an inclusive community, and we want everyone to feel safe and welcomed here."
According to NBC Boston, within hours of the theft, community members came together to replace the flags and the local Pride event has gotten more turnout than expected.
"The community response has been overwhelming," Pride co-organizer Rachel Gore Freed told NBC Boston. "People have come out in solidarity."
In a statement on Facebook, Travis Snell, chair of the Carlisle select board, which acts as the community's governing board, said: "Such action and behavior have no place in Carlisle, and our police department is working to identify whoever is responsible and they will be held accountable."
"On behalf of the town of Carlisle, the Select Board would like to reiterate that Carlisle is an inclusive community that respects its freedoms and the rights of individuals," Snell added, according to the local news station NBC10.
"On Saturday morning, President Joe Biden posted on X noting the start of Pride Month, saying in part, "For generations, LGBTQI+ Americans have summoned the courage to live proudly – even when it meant putting their lives at risk."
As the Carlisle Police Department continues its investigation of the theft, they are asking anyone with information to contact them.
