Providence City Council Divides Town By Raising Palestinian Flag

When I was a young man, my friends and I were going to a basketball game in a rough part of the city. As I was preparing to leave, my father took me aside and said, “Remember, never go looking for a fight, but don’t ever walk away from one.”

I have always heeded that advice in all aspects of my life. I knew that my father wasn’t talking only about physical confrontations. People are looking to stir up trouble just about everywhere.

It could be over sports, in business, or even disagreements within your own church can arise. Sadly, as we all are aware, wars have been and continue to be fought worldwide over religions and religious beliefs. The Middle East has been a hotbed for this kind of conflict for centuries, and the current Palestinian/Hamas – Israel conflict is no exception.

Despite knowing that it would only divide the city, the Providence, Rhode Island City Council, instigated by its arrogant and radical president, Rachel Miller, decided to raise a Palestinian flag in front of City Hall for a day yesterday. Miller presented the flag during a city council meeting on Thursday, followed by the official flag-raising ceremony yesterday (Friday).

We all know what a backhanded compliment is, and Democrats use something similar to justify their corruption. They always dress up their purpose for doing things by stating it as something noble. Of course, in reality, it is nothing of the sort. In this case, a spokesperson for the Providence City Council stated:

“Providence City Hall displays many different flags throughout the year to mark different occasions and honor the many ethnic and cultural backgrounds and traditions that make our city strong.” In recent months, the city has also flown the Dominican, Irish, Armenian, and Israeli flags.”

However, the Mayor was quick to distance himself from this decision. Ahead of the ceremony, Josh Estrella, a spokesman for Mayor Smiley, clarified that the decision to raise the Palestinian flag was made by the City Council and not by Mayor Brett Smiley’s office.

“In Providence, the executive branch and City Council are two separate branches of government. The Providence City Council, not Mayor Smiley’s office, will be raising the Palestinian flag on Friday.”

The mayor himself added:

“Unfortunately, I think this is exactly what some people wanted. One more instance of controversy. One more instance to try and divide. I am disappointed that the City Council would use their position of leadership to further ignite tensions in our city."

A few leftist troublemakers on the city council are simply trying to push buttons with their actions. The matter was discussed during a Thursday meeting of the Providence City Council. Councillors James Taylor and Helen Anthony voiced their opposition to flying the Palestinian flag at City Hall.

“We should focus on local work instead of international issues,” said Councilman James Taylor. “It seems that you and your staff have overlooked the fact that this is the city’s legislative body.”

On Wednesday, the Mayor informed NBC 10 that the city lacks a flag policy. However, state law prohibits flying flags like the Palestinian flag on state buildings.

A city spokesperson stated that the city is reviewing all local, state, and federal statutes before establishing a policy.

Really? Maybe the city’s policy should follow the state’s guidelines rather than the radical whims of a Democrat City Council President. It’s infuriating that this is even being discussed, but then again, Division, Exclusion, and Inequality (DEI) is the mantra of the left.